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10 self-reflection questions for career growth

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:09:50 GMT

As the year draws to a close, it is vital to pause and reflect on your journey and relationships in your personal lives and careers. Self-reflection is a powerful tool for introspection, helping us understand our core nature and facilitating personal growth as we work towards a better version of ourselves.

Whether you’re evaluating your work-life balance , personal development , or career progression , self-reflection can be incredibly empowering and beneficial for your overall well-being.

The value of reflection and introspection

Harnessing the power of reflection

As we approach the end of the year, taking the time to reflect on the past twelve months is not just a ritual but a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. Reflection allows us to pause in our fast-paced lives and examine our experiences, decisions, and actions.

It allows us to celebrate our successes, learn from our mistakes, and acknowledge our growth areas. By looking back, we gain valuable insights that empower us to approach the future with a more informed and intentional mindset.

Understanding ourselves better

Introspection is a vital component of self-reflection. It involves diving deep into our thoughts, feelings, and motivations. This process helps us understand why we do what we do, what drives our decisions, and how our actions align with our core values and goals. Understanding ourselves better is crucial for personal development and helps us make more authentic and aligned choices in the future.

Setting the stage for future success

Reflecting on the past year sets the foundation for setting realistic and meaningful goals for the new year. It helps us identify what we truly want, what areas need more attention, and what strategies worked or didn’t work.
This clarity is essential for setting goals that are both ambitious and achievable and aligned with our personal and professional aspirations.

Promoting well-being and reducing stress

The act of reflection can be therapeutic. It allows us to process our experiences, both positive and negative, and can lead to a greater sense of peace and closure.

This is especially important in today’s world, where we often rush from one task to another without taking the time to process our experiences. Reflecting on the year helps us close chapters, reduce stress, and approach the new year with renewed energy and optimism.

Fostering continuous learning and adaptability

The world is constantly changing, and adaptability has become a crucial skill. Reflecting on how we’ve navigated changes in the past year, both expected and unexpected, prepares us for future uncertainties. It reinforces continuous learning and adapting, essential in personal and professional contexts.

Year-end review: 10 questions for self-reflection

Here are 10 thought-provoking questions to guide your year-end reflection. These questions cover various aspects of your life, including work experiences, personal growth, work-life balance, and future aspirations. As you answer them, be honest and consider writing down your responses for a more tangible record of your thoughts and goals.

Sample answers help guide and inspire you as you reflect upon your year. These example answers provide a glimpse into the kind of introspection and planning that can result from such reflective questions, helping you assess your current state and set meaningful goals for the future.

1. Best and worst work experiences

What were your best and worst work experiences in the last 12 months? Be specific about projects, teams, roles, and activities.

Sample answers

Best: Leading a successful project launch, mentoring a new team member, and receiving positive client feedback.

Worst: Facing a project delay due to miscommunication, struggling with a software tool, and experiencing a stressful team conflict.

2. Job success and satisfaction elements

Can you identify three elements of your job that contributed to your success and satisfaction? Conversely, what three elements hindered your success and fulfilment?

Sample answers

Positive: Collaborative team environment, challenging tasks that foster learning, and recognition from management.

Negative: Limited resources, unclear company direction, and infrequent feedback.

3. Skills development

What five skills, talents, or pursuits would you like to develop or attain in the next 12 months?

Sample answers

Improve public speaking, learn advanced data analysis, enhance leadership skills, develop a new programming language, and cultivate creative problem-solving techniques.

4. Passion in work

What topics in your work can you talk about non-stop? Does this energise you consistently? Is this your passion or something else?

Sample answers

I am passionate about designing user interfaces. Discussing design trends and user experience energises me and is a significant part of my job satisfaction.

5. Unachieved goals

What’s one significant goal you didn’t achieve in the last 12 months, and why? How would you change the outcome?

Sample answers

I aimed to get a professional certification but couldn’t due to time constraints. I plan to manage my time better and enrol in a course next year.

6. Fearless ambitions

What would you aim to achieve in the coming year if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Sample answers

If I knew I couldn’t fail, I would aim to start my own tech startup focusing on innovative educational tools.

7. Role evaluation

How would you rate your current role out of 100%? What factors prevent you from reaching 100%, and how can you overcome them?

Sample answers

I’d rate my role at 75%. To reach 100%, I need more creative freedom and opportunities for professional development. With these, I could be fully satisfied.

8. Future aspirations

Without any limitations, what experiences, skills, activities, and responsibilities would you like to have in the future? List up to 12.

Sample answers

Lead larger projects, develop expertise in AI, participate in international conferences, mentor others, work abroad, achieve work-life balance, publish industry articles, learn a new language, adopt sustainable work practices, engage in CSR initiatives, explore different company roles, and start a professional blog.

9. Personal growth and development

How have you grown personally over the past year? What personal qualities or habits have you developed, and what would you like to work on?

Sample answers

I’ve become more resilient and patient over the years. I want to work on my time management and stress management skills.

10. Challenges and overcoming obstacles

Reflect on the biggest challenge you faced this year. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn?

Sample answers

My biggest challenge was adapting to remote work. I overcame it by creating a structured daily routine, investing in a better home office setup, and improving my digital communication skills.

Reflect to grow

Remember, the purpose of these questions is not just to reflect on what has been but also to pave a path for what lies ahead. By understanding where you currently stand and identifying your goals and aspirations, you can approach the new year with clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of direction.

Source: https://www.pagepersonnel.com.au/advice/career-and-management/success/self-reflection-questions-for-career-growth

Difference Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:09:47 GMT

Both job enlargement and job enrichment are human resource strategies used to improve employees engagement and increase efficiency that helps to achieve organizational more effectively. Job enlargement refers to increase tasks and responsibilities to the existing role of the employees. On the other hand, job enrichment is a technique of motivating employees by adding extra responsibilities to make job more challenging and meaningful.

Difference Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment

The main dissimilarities between job enrichment and job enlargement are as follows:

1. Introduction

Job Enlargement: It involves increasing the number of tasks and duties to be performed by workers to an existing role.

Job Enrichment: It involves increasing responsibilities and content in the job to increase challenges and scope that provides opportunity for growth.

2. Nature

Job Enlargement: It is purely quantitative in nature because number of tasks are increased for employees.

Job Enrichment: It is qualitative in nature. It means this technique is used to increase the content and quality of the job.

3. Objective

Job Enlargement: The main objective of job enlargement is to increase employee motivation and engagement by decreasing monotony and boredom.

Job Enrichment: The main objective of job enrichment is to promote growth and development by making jobs more challenging and exciting.

4. Additional Skill

Job Enlargement: It does not require additional skill because tasks are increased as per the qualification and ability of employees.

Job Enrichment: It requires some additional skills because it involves new responsibilities that require creativity, decision making and problem solving.

5. Authority

Job Enlargement: It does not increase the level of authority as it only increases the number of tasks.

Job Enrichment: It increases the level of authority as per the creativity and ability of employees.

6. Supervision And Control

Job Enlargement: It requires more supervision, direction and control because it increases the workload of employees that increases the chance of errors and mistakes.

Job Enrichment: It requires less supervision and control than job enlargement because workers exercise self-control.

7. Training Need

Job Enlargement: It does not require additional training because employees are familiar with the jobs and responsibilities.

Job Enrichment: It may require additional training to empower workers to increase creativity, decision making and control over the job.

8. Result/Outcome

Job Enlargement: Results may be positive or negative depending on the motivation level and workload of the employees.

Job Enrichment: Generally, it gives positive result because of increased morale and self actualization.

Basis

Job Enlargement

Job Enrichment

Nature

It is quantitative by nature

It is qualitative by nature

Objective

To reduce boredom and monotony

To promote growth and development

Additional Skills

Not Required

Required

Increase In Authority

Yes

Outcome

Positive Or Negative

Positive

Supervision And Control

Requires more supervision

Requires less supervision

Distinction Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment In Brief

* Job enlargement refers to quantitative expanding of jobs. But job enrichment is qualitative improvement of the job.

* Job enlargement does not require special training, but job enrichment requires training and development program to improve the performance.

* Job enlargement requires more supervision than job enrichment

* Job enrichment increases the level of authority but job enlargement increases the number of tasks only.

* Job enlargement is horizontal expansion of job and job enrichment is vertical expansion.

* Job enlargement does not promote growth and development but job enrichment helps in personal growth and career development

Source: https://marketinglord.blogspot.com/2024/05/difference-job-enlargement-job-enrichment.html

The 5 best supplements for healthy aging, according to a longevity expert

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:09:45 GMT

If you’ve ever walked down the supplement aisle in a pharmacy, you’ve seen the overwhelming abundance of options available for your medicine cabinet. According to the 2022 Council on Responsible Nutrition Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, 75% of Americans use dietary supplements , most on a regular basis.

It’s important to remember that supplements are just that: supplemental. While they’re good for giving you a bit of a leg up when you’re lacking certain nutrients, the number one way to get the vitamins and minerals and antioxidants you need is through a healthy, nutritious diet.

“Supplements will never give you what actual, real food will,” says Kara Burnstine, RD, a nutrition educator at Pritikin Longevity Center . “They simply aid you along. They’re not meant to be a food replacement.”

Still, Burnstine recognizes there can be setbacks of relying solely on food for optimal nutrition, and there are times when supplements can be a boon.

“It would be wonderful if we all ate all our fruits and vegetables and our whole grains and our lean proteins and got everything that we needed from the food supply, but unfortunately, our food supply is sometimes not the highest quality either,” she says. “So we could be doing a lot of the good things and not be getting all of the nutrients from the food.”

That deficit can become even more pronounced as you age, she says.

“We are machines, so as we get older, things that worked well start to not work as well. That’s when we might need to turn more to supplements.”

Not all supplements are for everyone. You should always consult your doctor before starting any supplement to be sure they won’t interact with medications you’re taking or put you at risk of other problems. But for most people approaching or in their golden years, here’s what Burnstine recommends:

Calcium for bone strength

Calcium does a lot for you: It plays an important role in blood clotting, it helps your muscles contract, and it regulates normal heart rhythms and nerve functions. It also builds and maintains strong bones. When you don’t take in enough calcium, your body borrows it from your bones to keep things running smoothly. A daily intake of calcium helps you replace this calcium and keep bones healthy .

When you reach age 50, your daily calcium requirement goes up. Prior to that, 1,200 milligrams a day will do you, but when you hit the half-century mark, it’s time to bump up to 1,500 milligrams a day. Women who are past menopause are at the highest risk of getting osteoporosis , a disease that makes bones weak and brittle. Lack of calcium ups these chances even more.

Burnstine says if you know you’re not getting at bare minimum two servings from a calcium source each day, a calcium supplement is a good idea. But the supplement is only one piece of the puzzle.

“In addition to the calcium supplement, I’m also going to recommend that you get at least two servings of dairy or that you eat a lot of green leafy vegetables, and you do resistance training, which protects bones more than anything else,” she says.

Vitamin D for immunity (and bone strength)

Speaking of healthy bones, your body can only absorb calcium when vitamin D is present . In addition, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. It supports immune health, muscle function, and brain cell activity .

Your body doesn’t make vitamin D, so you have to get it from outside sources. These include food, the sun, or supplements. Before age 70, your daily requirement is 600 IU. After 70, it goes up to 800 IU . In your later years, your body may need a boost to meet these goals.

“As we age, most of us no longer absorb vitamin D as well,” says Burnstine. This can be especially true if you live in an area without much sun, or if you’re always wearing sunscreen.

Probiotics for gut health

Emerging studies suggest that supplements of probiotics —the “good” bacteria that live in your digestive system and helps keep “bad” bacteria in check—may help counteract age-related shifts in gut microbiota, improving your immune health and aiding healthy digestion as you age.

“We know that if our gut health is good, everything else follows, in terms of inflammation , brain fog , weight loss, sleep , depression,” says Burnstine. “Our gut is tied to just about everything.”

As with most nutrients, it’s best to get probiotics through the foods you eat. You can load up on them through fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, refrigerated sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and miso. But a supplement isn’t a bad idea.

Some supplements have upwards of 50 billion CFUs (colony-forming units), which may seem like a huge amount, but Burnstine says your body absorbs only 20% to 30% of that.

“Taking a supplement helps create that diversity and huge population of probiotics in the gut to help us be healthy, lose weight, and lower our cholesterol,” she says.

Magnesium for mood

Magnesium is attached to immune function, enzymatic reactions, and it plays a part in lowering inflammation. It’s also a key player in mood stabilization. Magnesium levels go down as age goes up, putting you at risk of mental health struggles.

“People who are low in magnesium tend to have higher depression,” says Burnstine. Chronically low levels can also increase your chances of having high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Anyone over age 30 should be getting 320 to 420 milligrams a day, but Burnstine says not all magnesium supplements are the same.

“For example, you could take a magnesium carbonate, but you could also take something called magnesium glycinate, which is slightly easier on the stomach,” she says. “The combination of how it’s formulated causes sort of different responses.” Talk to your doctor about the best magnesium formulation for you.

Multivitamin to cover the bases

A daily multivitamin , while not a panacea, can give you an overall nutritive boost. At the very least, says Burnstine, it won’t hurt.

“I always say that a multivitamin is sort of like an insurance policy,” she says. “I would recommend a general multivitamin at any age.”

Most brands are the same, but for peace of mind, look for the USP symbol. This seal of approval marks brands that have consistent quality, the exact ingredients in the potency and amount you find listed on the label.

The Pitfalls of Unsuccessful Onboarding

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:09:43 GMT

Successful onboarding is crucial because it sets the tone for the new hire’s entire tenure. It helps new employees feel welcomed, valued, and integrated into the company culture, increasing engagement and productivity. Effective onboarding clarifies roles, expectations, and company norms, reducing uncertainty and stress. Unfortunately, many companies don’t realise these and are not taking steps to improve their onboarding process.
Aside from decreasing productivity among employees, unsuccessful onboarding can lead to higher turnover rates. Below, check out some of the pitfalls of unsuccessful onboarding.

1. Misalignment in Expectations

Misalignment in expectations can occur due to a wrong onboarding process when there is a discrepancy between what new hires anticipate and what the organization delivers. If the onboarding process fails to provide clear and accurate information about job roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations, new employees may develop unrealistic expectations about their duties and performance standards. When their job responsibilities do not align during onboarding, it can lead to frustration, confusion, and dissatisfaction.

Moreover, if companies do not effectively communicate organizational culture and values during onboarding , new hires will have misconceptions about the work environment, team dynamics, and company values. It can result in a lack of alignment with the organizational culture and difficulty adapting to the company’s norms and expectations.

In addition, new hires can feel disillusioned and disengaged if the onboarding process does not adequately address career development opportunities, leading to decreased morale and retention rates.

Overall, misalignment in expectations due to a wrong onboarding process can lead to decreased employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention, highlighting the importance of implementing a comprehensive and transparent onboarding program that effectively aligns new hires’ expectations with organizational realities.

2. Not Following a Good Onboarding Structure

Failure to follow a good onboarding structure can have several negative consequences for the organisation and its employees. Without a structured onboarding process , new hires may feel disoriented, unsupported, and disconnected from the organisation, resulting in decreased morale and engagement levels. In most cases, this can lead to higher turnover rates as employees may seek opportunities elsewhere due to a lack of integration and dissatisfaction with their initial experiences.

A poor onboarding structure can also hinder employee productivity and performance. Without clear guidance on job responsibilities, expectations, and training, new hires may struggle to understand their roles and effectively contribute to the organisation, resulting in reduced efficiency and output.

A lack of proper onboarding can impact team dynamics and collaboration. New hires who feel isolated or unsupported may struggle to build relationships with colleagues and integrate into the team, leading to communication barriers and decreased collaboration.

Furthermore, a deficient onboarding process can damage the employer’s brand and reputation. Bad experiences during onboarding can spread through word-of-mouth and online reviews, deterring potential candidates from applying to the organisation and tarnishing its image in the eyes of stakeholders and the broader community.

Failure to implement a good onboarding structure can result in decreased employee satisfaction, productivity, retention, and damage to the organisation’s reputation, underscoring the importance of investing in a comprehensive and effective onboarding program.

3. Not Providing Proper Introductions and Relationships

Several negative consequences may occur if companies fail to provide proper introductions and foster relationships during onboarding. Firstly, new hires may feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues and the organisation. Without meaningful introductions and opportunities to build relationships, employees may struggle to integrate into the team, leading to feelings of loneliness and disengagement.

Moreover, a lack of relationships and support networks can hinder collaboration and teamwork within the organisation. When employees do not know each other well or feel comfortable reaching out for help, it can impede communication, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving, ultimately impacting productivity and performance.

Furthermore, without good relationships and mentorship opportunities, new hires may experience problems in professional development and career growth. Mentors and colleagues can provide guidance, feedback, and support, helping new employees navigate their roles and overcome obstacles.

In addition, the absence of proper introductions and relationships during onboarding can contribute to higher turnover rates. Employees who feel disconnected and unsupported are more likely to seek opportunities elsewhere, leading to increased recruitment and training costs for the organisation.

4. Not Providing Adequate Training

Under research findings , the effectiveness of well-executed training during the onboarding process plays a key role in reducing employee turnover. When businesses provide extensive training, recruits are better equipped to function, which reduces errors, improves efficiency, and increases overall productivity. Without proper training, employees may feel overwhelmed and unprepared to meet the demands of their roles, resulting in frustration and unnecessary stress.

Proper training not only encourages abilities but also increases employee morale and job satisfaction, which improves retention. Furthermore, it reduces the likelihood of costly errors, safety violations, and reputational harm, assuring stability and compliance. Furthermore, by emphasising continuous learning and skill development, businesses can prepare employees for long-term success, supporting career advancement and potential.

Notably, during training, studies indicate that it is important for organisations to actively recognise and address the learning needs of new employees. Tailoring training programs to cater to diverse learning styles and preferences ensures that employees receive the necessary support to excel in their roles, helping to provide a more inclusive and effective onboarding and training experience.

It is also important to continue to provide ongoing learning and skill development initiatives, as this ensures that employees stay current with industry trends, adapt to evolving job requirements, and foster a sense of personal and professional fulfilment, contributing to their overall well-being and job satisfaction.

5. Micro-Managing

Companies should avoid micromanaging since it can hinder the development of trust and autonomy between managers and new hires. Constant supervision and scrutiny may signal a lack of confidence in an employee’s abilities, undermining their sense of empowerment and motivation.

Moreover, micromanaging during onboarding can stifle creativity and innovation. When employees feel constrained by rigid directives and strict oversight, they may be less inclined to explore new ideas or approaches, hindering the organisation’s ability to adapt and innovate.

Furthermore, excessive micromanagement can lead to stress and anxiety among new hires. Constant scrutiny and pressure to meet unrealistic expectations can contribute to burnout and decreased job satisfaction, ultimately impacting employee retention and morale.

Additionally, micromanagement during onboarding may impede the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Instead of encouraging independent decision-making and learning from mistakes, micromanagers may create an environment of dependency and fear of failure, inhibiting professional growth and development.

By providing clear expectations, guidance, and support, managers can empower new hires to take ownership of their roles, contribute meaningfully to the organisation, and thrive in their new positions.

Conclusion

In summary, the pitfalls of unsuccessful onboarding highlight the critical importance of investing in effective onboarding processes. Failing to provide clear expectations, adequate training, and support during onboarding can lead to misalignment in expectations and several other negative consequences. Addressing these common pitfalls allows organisations to cultivate a positive onboarding experience, setting new hires up for success.

In today’s fast-changing workplace landscape, where remote work, varied teams, and dynamic job responsibilities are becoming common, a well-executed onboarding process is essential. It not only mitigates the obstacles caused by these ever-changing environments but also guarantees that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their careers. A successful onboarding can help to increase engagement, lowering displacement, and promote a smooth integration into the workplace of today.

Source: https://gethppy.com/employeerecognition/the-pitfalls-of-unsuccessful-onboarding#google_vignette

Career Breaks Are the New Norm! On the Importance of Career Breaks in Professional Development.

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:52:58 GMT

Embracing a Career Break: Make It Your Official Professional Status on LinkedIn!

“Career break” has become an official professional status on LinkedIn . Why? Well, so many people consciously take career breaks that there is no more need to mask them under the excuse of additional education or charity work.

Relations with work are like relations with people: sometimes you need to go separate ways for a while to regain passion and start again with double force.

Career Breaks Are the New Norm.

This exposure given to career breaks is not without a reason. According to a global survey of 22,995 workers and 4,017 hiring managers conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn (January 2022), the majority of professionals active today took a break at least once in their careers.

Moreover, the recent report by ManpowerGroup reveals that 84% of Millennials plan significant career breaks for the future. Therefore, as a person with a career break, you are a member of the overwhelming majority – and the recruiter should appreciate your honesty in sharing your professional story!

Can taking career breaks be beneficial for your career? Yes! Here are some Here are some potential advantages:

Rest and Rejuvenation: A career break allows you to recharge both physically and mentally. It can help reduce burnout, stress, and fatigue, ultimately improving your overall well-being.

Perspective and Reflection: Stepping away from your routine provides an opportunity for reflection. You can assess your career goals, values, and priorities, gaining clarity on what you want from your professional life.

Skill Development: Depending on how you spend your career break, you may acquire new skills. Whether you engage in training, education, or pursue personal projects, these experiences can enhance your skill set and make you more versatile.

Personal Growth: Career breaks often coincide with periods of personal growth. Whether you’re traveling, volunteering, or pursuing hobbies, these experiences can broaden your perspective and enrich your life.

Career Change or Pivot: A career break may give you the time and space to explore different industries or career paths. It can be a strategic move if you’re considering a career change or pivot.

Entrepreneurship: Some individuals use career breaks to start their own businesses. This period can be a valuable time for entrepreneurship, allowing you to turn a passion or a side project into a full-fledged venture.

Family and Personal Commitments: Career breaks can be essential for fulfilling family responsibilities, such as raising children or caring for a family member. This time can strengthen personal relationships and contribute to a more balanced life.

Improved Mental Health: Taking a break from work-related stressors can positively impact your mental health. It provides an opportunity to address and manage mental health concerns and build resilience.

Networking and Relationship Building: Depending on how you spend your career break, you may have the chance to build new relationships and expand your network. Networking can open up new opportunities when you decide to re-enter the workforce.

Increased Job Satisfaction: A well-timed career break can lead to increased job satisfaction upon returning to work. Taking time off to pursue personal interests or address burnout can help you return to your career with renewed enthusiasm.

Career Breaks As the “Fifth Mode” for Resting Your Brain.

1. Speed Resting.

Power naps, lunch, coffee breaks, and micro-breaks during the day. Let’s be real: no one can consistently deliver 8 hours of uninterrupted, high-focus deep work; we all need little venting during the workday.

2. Low-interval Resting…

…also known as night sleep. It might be the key to your professional success. You can use apps like SleepCycle to measure the quality of your night sleep. And please invest time into researching your chronotype and optimal sleeping patterns.

3. Medium-interval Resting.

…a.k.a. weekends. As a rule of thumb, unless you are a freak running on adrenaline for a lifetime such as Elon Musk , you will need at least a day a week of complete rest. So, please be reasonable about your working scheme — even God rests a day a week.

4. High-interval Resting…

…a.k.a. vacations. We need at least 2 weeks of interrupted vacation of a year to fully recover our bodies and minds from the work-related clutter. The number of officially required paid vacation days highly varies from country to country, with the highest number of paid vacation days in the following countries: Brazil (30), Finland (30), France (25), Germany (30), and Sweden (25-30).

5. Career Break…

…a.k.a. sabbatical. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular to consciously plan and take career breaks between contracts, or take sabbaticals — for as long as 6-12 months.

Some people can function without vacations and sabbaticals. For others, vacations are enough. But, some people need career breaks to stay mentally stable and better strategize their careers in the long run. And this is perfectly fine.

You Can Explain Career Breaks to the Recruiter in a Way That Doesn’t Spoil Your Chances for Getting a Job!

Taking a career break is not only beneficial to mental health, but also contributed to multiple art masterpieces, groundbreaking discoveries and new technologies. Examples of people who, famously, took a career break to come back stronger, include:

Steve Jobs.

After being ousted from Apple in 1985, Steve Jobs took a career break. During this time, he founded NeXT Computer and Pixar Animation Studios. His experience at NeXT contributed to the development of technologies later used by Apple, and Pixar became a major success in the animation industry.

Elizabeth Gilbert.

The author of “Eat, Pray, Love” took a break from her regular life to travel and find herself. This journey of self-discovery became the basis for her bestselling memoir, which was later adapted into a successful film.

Julia Child.

Before becoming a renowned chef and TV personality, Julia Child worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. It was only later in life, in her 30s, that she attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in France, leading to her groundbreaking career in culinary arts.

Arianna Huffington.

The co-founder of The Huffington Post experienced a burnout, which prompted her to reassess her life and priorities. She took a career break to focus on well-being and eventually founded Thrive Global, a company dedicated to promoting mental and physical health in the workplace.

Tim Ferriss.

The author and entrepreneur took a break from his corporate job to travel and experiment with different lifestyle designs. This period of exploration led to his bestselling book “The 4-Hour Workweek,” which became a guide for many seeking a more efficient and fulfilling life.

Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah took a break from her daytime talk show to start her own television network, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). This move allowed her to have more creative control and explore new avenues in media.

Mark Twain.

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, took a break from writing to invest in various business ventures. Although not all of his investments were successful, the experience provided him with insights into entrepreneurship that he later incorporated into his work.

Conclusions: Talking Career Break at a Job Interview – Hot or Not?

Recruiters appreciate brutal honesty and openness at the job interviews. And yes, you can present your career break in a constructive way and impress the interviewer with your self-awareness and maturity. So, earn the recruiters’ trust where others stutter and fail! Explain why you took a career break and what you learned within this time — about the world and about yourself!

Please check out our other articles to learn more:

Are you planning to upgrade your career to the next level or change your career path? Are you pondering your options? Don’t be alone in the process – join us at our live online Ontology of Value® Career Mastery Program !

At this intensive online training, you will focus on discovering your identity as a professional, and learn effective career development strategies for landing great jobs.

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Please cite as:

Bielczyk, N. (2024, January 19th). Sample Post? Retrieved from https://ontologyofvalue.com/career-breaks-are-the-new-norm/

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Employee File Documents: Best Practices and Checklist

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:52:55 GMT

Maintaining comprehensive and compliant employee records is crucial for organizations. The specific documents required may vary based on federal, state, and local regulations, as well as company policies.

In this article, we will share a checklist for employee files. It will help you keep accurate records for all your employees. We will also share a few best practices for HR file management to help you stay compliant.

What Is Employee File Management?

Employee file management, also known as personnel file management, refers to the systematic and organized process of creating, organizing, maintaining, and securely storing records and documents related to individual employees within an organization.

The goal of employee file management is to ensure compliance with laws. It is also to keep accurate and up-to-date records. And to help with human resource management.

Why are Employee Files So Important?

Employee files are crucial for many reasons. These include legal compliance, good human resource management, and keeping a record of an employee’s journey. Here are the key reasons why employee files are important:

Legal Compliance

Employee files help organizations comply with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations. They provide a work history. This ensures that the organization follows the law. It’s related to hiring, firing, and other employment practices.

Decision-Making and Performance Management

Personnel files contain records of performance reviews , disciplinary actions, and training history. This information is crucial. It helps make informed decisions about promotions, raises, or addressing performance concerns.

Employee Development

The documents are related to training, certifications, and professional development . They help create targeted employee development plans. This contributes to skill enhancement and career growth within the organization.

Benefits Administration

Employee files include records of benefits enrollment, ensuring accurate administration of health insurance, retirement plans, and other employee benefits.

Workplace Safety and Workers’ Compensation

In the event of workplace injuries, workers’ compensation claims, or safety incidents, employee files provide documentation that may be required for legal and insurance purposes.

Legal Defense

Well-maintained employee files serve as a valuable resource in legal matters. They provide evidence of employment-related decisions, actions taken, and adherence to employment laws, which can be crucial in legal defense.

Termination and Exit Processes

Employee files document the details of an employee’s departure. This includes exit interviews, reasons for termination, and any agreements reached during the termination process.

Essential Employee File Documents Checklist

It’s important to regularly review the employee records you maintain whenever you are conducting an HR audit. Below is a general list of required documents. They are commonly included in the personal files for U.S.-based employees:

1. Job Application and Resume

Original job application and resume submitted by the employee during the hiring process.

2. Offer Letter

A copy of the official offer letter outlining terms and conditions of employment.

3. Employment Contract (if applicable)

If the employee has a formal employment contract, include a copy in their personal file.

4. Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Certificate)

Employee’s completed and signed Form W-4 for federal income tax withholding.

5. I-9 Form (Employment Eligibility Verification)

Copy of the completed Form I-9, verifying the employee’s eligibility to work in the U.S., along with supporting documentation.

6. Payroll Records

Records of salary or wage information, including pay stubs and any relevant compensation details.

7. Performance Reviews and Appraisals

Regular performance evaluations, feedback, and any performance improvement plans.

8. Training and Development Records

Documentation of employee training, certifications, and professional development activities.

9. Employee Handbook Acknowledgment

Signed acknowledgment of receipt and understanding of the company’s employee handbook .

10. Emergency Contact Information

Employee’s emergency contact details for use in case of accidents, illnesses, or other emergencies.

11. Benefit Enrollment Forms

Documents related to employee benefit enrollments, including health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits.

12. Time and Attendance Records

Timecards, attendance records, or other documentation related to hours worked.

13. Leave Requests and Approvals

Documents related to employee leave requests, approvals, and records of time off.

14. Disciplinary Actions and Correspondence

Records of any disciplinary actions, warnings, or performance improvement plans, along with related correspondence.

15. Termination Documentation

Documents related to the employee’s termination, including exit interviews and separation agreements if applicable.

16. Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreements

Copies of any signed non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements.

17. Harassment or Discrimination Complaints

Documentation related to any complaints, investigations, or resolutions regarding harassment or discrimination.

18. Medical Records (if applicable)

Medical records, if required for accommodation or FMLA purposes, ensuring compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

19. Acknowledgment of Policies and Procedures

Signed acknowledgment forms for various company policies , such as code of conduct, anti-harassment policies, and other relevant guidelines.

20. Workers’ Compensation Records

Documentation related to any workers’ compensation claims, including incident reports and medical records.

21. Mileage and Expense Reports

Records of any employee-initiated expenses, such as mileage or travel reimbursement requests.

22. Notices of Changes in Employment Status

Notifications or documentation related to changes in employment status, such as promotions, demotions, or transfers.

23. Education and Certification Documentation

Copies of academic degrees, certifications, or licenses relevant to the employee’s role.

24. Recognition and Awards

Documentation of any employee recognition , awards, or achievements.

25. Records of Flexible Work Arrangements

Documents related to any approved flexible work arrangements or accommodations.

Organizations need to stay informed about changes in employment laws and regulations to ensure ongoing compliance. Also, consider consulting with lawyers or HR specialists. They can help tailor record-keeping practices to fit your needs and local laws.

How to Organize Employee File Documents

Organizing employee personnel files is essential for efficient human resource management, legal compliance, and maintaining a secure record-keeping system. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize employee files:

1. Create a Standardized System

Establish a standardized filing system that includes clear categories for different types of documents. This ensures consistency and makes it easy for HR staff to locate and manage files.

2. Separate Active and Inactive Files

Differentiate between active and inactive employee files. Active files contain current employees’ documents. Inactive files store records of former employees. This helps streamline access to relevant information.

3. Use Individual Folders

Create individual folders for each employee. Label each folder with the employee’s name and employee ID for easy identification.

4. Categorize Documents

Divide documents into categories within each employee’s folder. Common categories include:

Personal Information
Employment Documentation
Tax and Payroll Records
Verification of Eligibility to Work
Performance and Development Records
Benefits Enrollment Information
Disciplinary and Corrective Actions
Leave and Time-Off Records
Acknowledgment of Policies
Termination Documents
Harassment or Discrimination Complaints
Medical and Health Records (if applicable)
Workers’ Compensation Records
Flexible Work Arrangements

5. Maintain a Checklist

Develop a checklist or index for each employee file, listing the types of documents included. This helps HR staff quickly verify the completeness of each file.

6. Secure Sensitive Information

Make sure sensitive info, like Social Security numbers, medical records, or confidential performance reviews, is stored securely in the employee’s file. Limit access to authorized personnel.

7. Use Electronic Document Management (Optional)

Consider transitioning to electronic document management systems for a more efficient and space-saving solution. Ensure the system complies with privacy and security regulations.

8. Establish Record Retention Policies

Develop and adhere to record retention policies based on federal, state, and local regulations. Clearly outline how long different types of documents should be retained and establish a secure process for disposal.

9. Train HR Staff

Train HR staff on the organized filing system. This includes document sorting, indexing, and following record-keeping policies.

10. Update Files Promptly

– Promptly update employee files with any changes or additions, such as promotions, disciplinary actions, or training records.

11. Stay Informed about Legal Changes

Review employment laws regularly. Stay informed about changes. This will ensure your file organization practices remain compliant.

Source: https://www.springworks.in/blog/employee-files/

How to Respond to a Job Rejection Email? Here Are 3 Emails Ready to Copy & Paste

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:02:21 GMT

Learning how to respond to a job rejection email is a skill that turns a setback into a strategic step forward.

There you are, after rounds of interviews and building connections, feeling so close to landing the job—only to open your inbox to "We've decided to move forward with another candidate."

Yes, it's tempting to just hit delete on that message and swiftly move on, convincing yourself it's their loss, not yours.

But the smarter move? Taking a deep breath and crafting a response to that job rejection. It's actually a valuable opportunity to:

showcase your professionalism ;
get feedback ;
and to keep the door open for future possibilities.

Let's explore how you can respond to a job rejection in a way that does just that.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

Why respond to a job rejection email?

Responding to a job rejection email might seem like the last thing you want to do.

However, sending a thoughtful reply can actually turn a moment of rejection into a great career development opportunity.

Here’s why it’s a step you should consider:

Showcases your professionalism . In many industries, connections are everything. Staying professional even after a rejection can lead people to recommend you elsewhere or reconsider you for future roles.
Allows you to get feedback . Asking for feedback with, "Could you provide any feedback on my interview or application?" might give you specific insights. This feedback is gold—it tells you what you did well and what to improve on, directly from the source.
Keeps the door open for future opportunities . A polite response to a rejection keeps a positive relationship with the company. Roles often reopen, and new ones come up. Companies remember great candidates and might reach out to you first for a better-fit opportunity in the future.

Key elements of a job rejection email response

When you're drafting a reply to a job rejection email, keeping things professional yet not too formal is key.

Here are the key components each job rejection email response needs to include:

Subject line. The subject should clearly reflect the situation. Something like "Thank you for the update" or "Thank you for your consideration" will do.
Expression of gratitude. Kick things off by saying thanks. A simple "Thank you for letting me know" goes a long way. It shows you're cool with their decision and appreciate being in the running.
Rejection acknowledgment. Briefly acknowledge the rejection. “I’m disappointed, but I understand your decision.”
Feedback request. Ask for feedback in a way that’s earnest and non-demanding. “I’d be grateful for any feedback you could share to help me improve.” It signals that you’re open to growth and value their input.
Interest in future opportunities. Express your ongoing interest in the company and future roles. “I remain very interested in joining your team and would love to stay in touch.” This indicates you’re still enthusiastic about the company and open to future opportunities.
Sign off. End on a positive note. “Thank you again for the opportunity, and I hope we can connect in the future.” And include your contact information!

Next up, we'll break down how to piece these elements together, step-by-step, creating a response that's genuine and to the point.

How to respond to a job rejection email in 5 steps

Creating a balanced response to a job rejection email involves combining professionalism with a touch of personal touch.

Here's how to do it, step by step:

Start by expressing gratitude.
Begin by expressing gratitude. It shows respect for the time the hiring team spent with you. Example: "Thank you for letting me know about your decision and for the opportunity to interview with your team."
Acknowledge the rejection.
Directly acknowledge that you’ve received their decision. It's okay to express disappointment, but keep it brief and respectful. Example: "While I'm disappointed I won't be joining your team at this time, I understand your decision."
Politely request feedback.
Asking for feedback shows you're keen to grow. Make sure your request is polite and not demanding. Example: "I would greatly appreciate any feedback you could share from my interviews or application to help me improve."
Express interest in future opportunities.
Demonstrate your ongoing interest in the company and future opportunities. Example: "I remain very interested in your company and would love to be considered for any future roles that match my skills and experience."
Sign off professionally and include your contact information.
End your email on a positive note, leaving the door open for future communication – that includes providing your contact information at the end. Example: "Thank you again for the opportunity and your consideration. I wish you and your team the best and hope we might cross paths in the future."

Job rejection email response (3 examples)

In this chapter, we dive into crafting the ideal reply to a job rejection email.

You'll find three example responses:

simple
laid-back
formal

Feel free to copy, paste, and personalize these templates to fit your situation and leave a positive impression on your potential future employer.

Simple job rejection email response example

The first way how to respond to a job rejection email is very simple and to the point – suitable for any situation you find yourself in.

Subject: Thank you for the opportunity

Dear [Interviewer’s Name] ,

Thank you for letting me know about the decision. While I’m disappointed not to be moving forward, I appreciate the chance to interview for [Position Name] .

If possible, I’d welcome any feedback you might have on my interview or application, as I’m always looking to improve.

I remain interested in [Company Name] and hope to find an opportunity to work together in the future.

Thanks again for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Email address]
[Phone number]

Informal job rejection email response example

This second example is less formal and more laid back. It's very suitable if you were applying for a job in a company which has a very laid back culture or you know the people you were interviewing with.

Subject: Thanks for the update!

Hi [Interviewer’s Name] ,

Thanks for filling me in on your decision.

Bummer it didn’t work out this time, but it was great getting to meet everyone and learn about [Company Name] .

Any chance you could shoot over a bit of feedback? I’m always trying to get a bit better at this whole process.

I’m definitely still keen on the vibe at [Company Name] , so if something else pops up that you think fits, let me know!

Cheers and thanks again,

[Your Name]
[Email address]
[Phone number]

Formal job rejection email response example

This last job rejection email response is suitable if the company you interviewed with is very formal and you want to reflect this.

Dear [Interviewer’s Name] ,

Thank you for informing me of your decision regarding the [Position Name] position.

Although I am naturally disappointed by the outcome, I greatly value the opportunity to have engaged with your esteemed team and to have gained insight into the admirable work culture at [Company Name] .

I would be most appreciative if you could provide me with any feedback from my interviews or application materials that might assist me in my continuous professional development.

Please consider me for any future opportunities that may arise within your organization, as I remain deeply interested in contributing to [Company Name] ‘s success.

Thank you once again for your time and consideration. I wish you and your team the very best moving forward and hope that our paths may cross again in a professional capacity.

Warmest regards,

[Your Name]
[Email address]
[Phone number]

Moving forward after a job rejection

Facing job rejection is tough, but it’s also a universal part of the career journey.

How you move forward can set the stage for future success. Here’s how to bounce back stronger:

Reflect on the experience. Take some time to process the rejection. Reflect on the interview process and any feedback you received. What did you learn? What can you improve?
Update your resume and cover letter. Armed with new insights, revisit your resume and cover letter . Make updates based on what you’ve learned. Consider new ways to highlight your skills and experiences that align with what employers in your field are looking for.
Expand your skill set. Identify any gaps in your skills or knowledge that became apparent during the interview process. Look for courses , workshops, or online resources to help you improve in these areas.
Network. Continue to build and engage with your professional network. You can even consider connecting with the interviewers from the company that rejected you on LinkedIn .
Keep applying. Don’t let one rejection stop you. Keep searching for opportunities and applying. Each application and interview is a chance to practice your skills and get closer to the job that’s right for you.

Maybe it's time to update your resume.

Let AI help you with the writing and select a beautiful resume template to go along.

Create resume with AI

Key takeaways: How to respond to a job rejection email

When you get a job rejection email, answering back is a smart move – even though it's probably the last thing you want to do.

It shows you're professional, keeps you on their radar for future jobs, and might even get you some helpful tips on how to improve.

Here's how you write the perfect response to a job rejection email in 5 steps:

Start by expressing gratitude.
Acknowledge the rejection.
Politely request feedback.
Express interest in future opportunities.
Sign off professionally and include your contact information.

But what if the tables are turned and you're the one saying 'no thanks' to a job offer?

Just like responding well to a rejection, turning down an offer the right way keeps things smooth and professional.

Source: https://blog.kickresume.com/how-to-respond-to-a-job-rejection-email/

Ways to Show Outstanding Employee Recognition

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:02:13 GMT

It’s been said that people don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad bosses. This can be true in some cases, but recognition and appreciation also play a big role in employee happiness and engagement.

Outstanding employees need to feel acknowledged for their hard work and accomplishments – otherwise, they may lose motivation and look elsewhere for a job where they’ll feel appreciated.

That’s why it’s important to create a culture of appreciation and an environment that encourages employees to do their best by recognising an employee’s accomplishments and providing valuable feedback.

So how can you make sure you’re giving your top performers the recognition they deserve? Read on for some tips on outstanding employee recognition.

Public Recognition

Public recognition is a great way to inspire and motivate employees. It reinforces the idea that their hard work and dedication are appreciated. And it encourages them to continue striving for excellence.

When someone receives public recognition for their efforts, they become more confident, which can lead to increased productivity and higher morale in the workplace.

Moreover, public recognition communicates to other team members that there are rewards for putting in extra effort in the workplace. Communication is key. This can help foster an environment where everyone works together towards a common goal of success.

It also sends a powerful message outside the organisation; it shows that you value your staff and recognise their accomplishments. This can help build trust and loyalty amongst customers, partners, or investors.

Here are a few ideas to show appreciation for your employees in public:

Host an awards ceremony or luncheon

Hosting an event to celebrate individual accomplishments is a great way to recognise outstanding employees. This can be as simple as presenting certificates or plaques to recognise hard work and dedication.

Shout-outs

Giving out shout-outs in team meetings, emails, or on social media is an easy way to show appreciation to someone who goes above and beyond or completes a project successfully.

Employee showcase

Sharing employee stories on your company website or blog so the world can see. These stories are a great opportunity to share employee testimonials, accomplishments, and successes.

You can even feature an “Employee of the Month” on your company website or social media pages to recognise that person’s hard work and contributions.

Take them out for lunch

Taking your employees out to lunch or dinner is one of the most effective ways to express your appreciation and recognise their efforts. It’s a great way to create a positive employee experience. This type of reward communicates clearly that you value them as individuals and the contributions they make to your company.

You can create deeper connections with each person in your organisation and build stronger relationships by having a good meal together. If you go out as a group, it will boost morale in the workplace, strengthen coworker relationships, and reaffirms each person’s commitment to achieving success as a team.

Remember to keep it professional and respectful. When taking employees out to lunch or dinner, it is critical to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Ensure that everyone is at ease throughout the event and that the conversation remains relevant and productive.

Also, keep in mind that some employees may have dietary restrictions or preferences, so ask ahead of time if anyone has any special needs before making any reservations.

Fostering peer-to-peer recognition

Peer recognition is an important factor in creating a positive work environment and increased productivity. It boosts morale, encourages collaboration, and gives employees a sense of direction. Through this, leaders can build a culture of appreciation that encourages team members to strive for excellence and build meaningful relationships with each other.

Peer recognition not only provides immediate gratification, but also reinforces positive behaviors and sets an example for others to follow. It sends a strong message that hard work is appreciated and rewarded.

When an employee’s contributions are recognised by their peers, they feel valued and appreciated, which leads to increased job satisfaction and loyalty in the workplace. This can also help improve departmental communication because teams are more likely to collaborate when they respect and trust one another.

In addition to improving morale, peer recognition fosters healthy competition. When team members are recognised for their efforts, it encourages employees to go above and beyond their daily duties and also serves as motivation to keep working toward common goals.

Cash bonuses

Cash bonuses are an excellent way to reward and recognise employees for their hard work and dedication. They can be used to recognise and reward individual or team performance, as well as to commemorate milestones or achievements.

Cash bonuses not only show appreciation for an employee’s efforts, but they also provide employees with a tangible incentive to continue striving for excellence in the workplace. You can show employees that their work is valued and appreciated by including cash rewards in your recognition program.

Furthermore, cash bonuses contribute to a positive work environment by encouraging employee loyalty and motivation. Employee recognition through cash bonuses, when used effectively, can lead to higher morale among employees and overall job satisfaction.

Non-cash rewards

Non-cash rewards can be a powerful tool for recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work and dedication. These types of rewards provide a personalised, meaningful way to express gratitude that money cannot buy. Non-cash rewards that are popular include:

Offering flexible scheduling options

Allowing employees to set their own schedules is a great way for employers to give back with minimal effort. If applicable, this could be done on an individual basis or across entire departments.

Giving gift cards

Gift cards are an excellent way to express gratitude because they allow employees to choose what they want or need when they want it. This type of reward has the potential to become a recurring benefit if employers implement a gift card program that allows employees to use them on various occasions throughout the year.

Offer time off

For many employees, time away from work is more valuable than money, so providing additional paid days off or allowing employees to take a long weekend can be a great way to show appreciation.

Celebrating milestones

Whether it’s an employee’s birthday, a work anniversary, or another special occasion, taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate these occasions together can create lasting memories for all parties involved.

Awarding trophies or plaques

A tangible award, such as a trophy or plaque, is one of the best ways to officially recognise employees. This could be in the form of annual awards presented at company parties or individual recognition items displayed on office walls.

Whatever type of non-cash reward you choose, keep in mind that your gesture should come from the heart and demonstrate how much you appreciate your employees’ contributions.

Provide professional development opportunities

Offering professional development opportunities is an effective way to thank employees for their efforts. When you invest in your employees’ growth and development, they feel valued, appreciated, and respected. Taking the time to nurture them through learning experiences will also allow them to contribute more effectively to the success of your organisation.

You can provide professional development opportunities for your employees in a variety of ways. You could provide classes like getting Google Skillshop or workshops on specific job-related skills or soft skills such as communication and problem-solving.

It may also be beneficial to bring in outside experts who can provide expert advice or instruction on specific industry topics. Offering cross-training or shadowing sessions with other departments is another excellent way to provide professional development opportunities.

It is critical to recognise the worth of your employees and their contributions to the success of your company. Providing professional development opportunities is an effective way to demonstrate your commitment to their growth and development, which can foster loyalty and engagement. Investing in your employees’ education and training will benefit both them and the organisation. It will provide them with the skills they need to succeed while also assisting in the creation of an excellent culture within the company.

Employee development is an essential component of any successful business strategy because it motivates employees, fosters innovation, and propels organisational growth. By providing professional development opportunities, you not only recognise your employees’ efforts but also provide them with the tools they need to succeed. It will also foster a dynamic and thriving workplace culture in which everyone is encouraged to learn and grow.

Throw a party

Throwing a party for employees is a great way to show outstanding employee recognition and your appreciation and recognition. Parties are ideal for thanking employees for their hard work, dedication, and loyalty. Employees not only feel appreciated and valued, but they also have the opportunity to socialise with their coworkers outside of the workplace. This fosters relationships and fosters camaraderie among team members.

Celebrating accomplishments together can inspire everyone and strengthen coworker bonds. It can also aid in the development of a sense of belonging within the organisation, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and productivity levels in the long run. Furthermore, parties are enjoyable ways to boost morale and reduce stress during times of difficulty or uncertainty. Finally, throwing an employee party is bound to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Throwing a party can also be a cost-effective way to express gratitude and recognition. Even if the budget is limited, a creative celebration that highlights employees’ accomplishments can have a positive impact.

When it comes to making employees feel valued and appreciated, simple gestures like recognising them in front of their peers or small rewards like gift cards or discounts can go a long way. Throwing a party is thus one of the most effective ways to express gratitude while remaining within a reasonable resource budget.

A simple thank you

A simple “thank you” can convey a wide range of positive emotions and go a long way toward making an outstanding employee feel valued. In today’s fast-paced business world, however, many employers frequently overlook this small but powerful gesture.

The truth is that taking the time to thank an employee for their hard work and dedication pays dividends in the long run. Not only does it show that you are grateful for their efforts, but it also reinforces to them that they are appreciated and encourages them to continue striving for excellence. Furthermore, expressing gratitude helps to strengthen the bond between employer and employee, which in turn boosts morale, loyalty, and trust for both parties.

In Summary

Overall, employers can recognise the outstanding contributions made by individual employees or teams on a daily basis in a variety of ways. This is outstanding employee recognition. Employers can help create an engaged workplace culture in which everyone feels valued and appreciated by taking the time to thank, reward, and recognise their employees’ hard work and dedication.

Congratulations to all organisations that take the time to appreciate their employees. You will surely reap the benefits of increased engagement, retention, and results.

About the Author

Joe Troyer is one of the founders of Virtual Valley. Our latest venture Review Grower aims to compete in a market with competitors doing hundreds of millions a year. Our goal is simple: By creating enterprises that address the most pressing issues affecting tomorrow’s top firms, we enable growth in marketers, agencies, and companies.

Source: https://inside.6q.io/outstanding-employee-recognition/

What’s Most Important to Job Seekers Today?

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:02:08 GMT

The job market continues to defy expectations. Companies have added new jobs at a rapid pace, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting more than 800,000 new jobs added in Q1 2024 alone.

To understand the perspectives of job seekers in this complex market, Employ conducted its annual survey of U.S. workers, exploring job satisfaction, career motivations, preferences for workplace flexibility, experiences during the job search process, and recruiter-candidate interactions.

The 2024 Employ Job Seeker Nation Report , conducted in partnership with Zogby Analytics, surveyed more than 1,500 U.S. workers in April 2024, and the results may surprise or even alarm employers.

The survey found that while 79% of American workers indicate they are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied in their current roles, 86% are at least somewhat open to other job opportunities, including 46% who are very open. Additionally, 40% of workers are actively looking for new employment, with a majority (58%) looking for new roles within their current company.

Beyond compensation, active job seekers are primarily motivated by career advancement, greater work flexibility, and remote work opportunities. Company culture and better leadership also rank high in importance to candidates. The report also reveals that candidates are feeling confident in the current labor market, with 50% of active job seekers believing that finding a job is easy and 56% believing that the current job market favors candidates.

For employers today, understanding job seeker mindset, motivations, and behavior is critical to connecting with candidates more effectively and staying competitive in a tight labor market. The full 2024 Employ Job Seeker Nation Report provides an in-depth, data-driven look at:

The complexity of job seeker realities in the current market
Motivations for leaving jobs or declining new offers
Preferences for workplace flexibility
Experiences during the job search process
Recruiter-candidate interactions

Employers can use this information to optimize and improve their recruiting functions, informed by the realities job seekers face right now. Here’s a peek at what’s inside:

Complexity of Job Seeker Realities

When it comes to levels of job satisfaction, U.S. workers are overwhelmingly satisfied in their roles. According to the Employ survey data, 79% are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, compared to just 10% of job seekers who are dissatisfied.

Despite these high levels of satisfaction, 86% of workers are at least somewhat open to other job opportunities, including 46% who indicate they are very open.

Similar to 2023, a significant percentage of U.S. workers are actively looking for a new job right now, with 4 in 10 workers indicating they are seeking new employment. The good news for employers is that a majority of job seekers (58%) have looked for a new position within their current company.

Active Job Seekers

So, what motivates job seekers to look for new employment? Beyond compensation, active job seekers are primarily motivated by career advancement and greater work flexibility or remote work opportunities.

Employers should recognize that candidates are looking for opportunities to progress and to stay flexible in their approach to work. By emphasizing advancement and flexibility in recruitment messaging, companies can differentiate themselves to job seekers in the market.

Company culture and better company leadership also rank high in importance to candidates. Organizations must take an active role in managing their employer brand and ensuring they have strong leaders who can effectively lead the workforce.

When it comes to looking for new roles, 50% of active job seekers believe that finding a job in the current labor market is easy, and 56% believe that the current job market favors candidates. Nearly two-thirds believe it will take them less than three months to find a new job.

Download the Full Job Seeker Nation Report

Stay ahead of the curve and attract the best talent to your organization. Download the free report and gain valuable insights into the job market and job seeker preferences.

Source: https://www.jobvite.com/blog/most-important-to-job-seekers-today/

The Positive Effects of Pet Therapy for Seniors

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:02:04 GMT

Pets can bring so much joy, companionship, happiness and sense of family. Not only do they provide all of these positive feelings, research has shown that pets have the ability to act as a form of therapy and improve health and general wellbeing. Especially as individuals enter the later stages of life, the need for companionship and comfort often becomes more prominent. Pet therapy in this instance has even more significance; with the simple act of sitting and petting an animal providing a sense of solace and support for elderly individuals. Dogs are often the most common animal used for pet therapy, however cats and even farm animals are also included!

Here are just a few of the reasons why pet therapy stands out as a practical and beneficial approach for seniors:

Emotional benefits

A primary benefit of pet therapy is the emotional impact it can have. Interacting with animals through playing, petting or even observing, triggers the release of oxytocin and serotonin (hormones that are associated with feelings of happiness). Many seniors are susceptible to experiencing depression due to loneliness or isolation, or they may find themselves feeling anxious or worried more often. Pets can alleviate this anxiety and worry, and help seniors to experience more positive emotions. They also provide a sense of companionship and trust, even in the absence of human interaction.

Mental/Cognitive benefits

Pet therapy can also benefit cognition, improving things such as motor skills, joint movement, problem-solving skills and encouraging mental activity overall. In terms of mental benefits, pet therapy can also reduce negative behaviours such as anger, frustration, agitation, and a sense of helplessness that senior’s may experience.

Physical health benefits

Even just a short walk around the block with a dog can provide the much needed exercise that is beneficial for seniors to stay active and mobile. Whether it’s just a walk with a dog playing, feeding or brushing, interactions with animals can help to improve mobility and reflexes.

Increase communication and socialisation

Interacting with, and communicating with animals has shown to have psychological benefits and enhances communication skills among seniors. For many elderly individuals, verbal communication can prove challenging due to a variety of factors including hearing loss or cognitive decline. The presence of a pet allows for a comforting environment that encourages communication and at times allows individuals to express themselves more freely than with other humans.

Spending time with animals has even indicated fewer doctor and hospital visits, reduced medication intake and reduced blood pressure and cholesterol. Pet therapy is a proven method that encompasses a holistic and heart-warming approach to enhancing overall well-being and quality of life. The array of emotional, physical and social positive impacts it can have on a senior’s life, makes the companionship of animals a valuable addition to the other therapeutic interventions available. A furry four legged friend has the ability to bring so much joy, comfort, and value to the lives of the elderly.

Help bring awareness to the amazing benefits of pet therapy for seniors and share this post with friends and family by clicking on the share icons below!

Source: https://www.altaira.com.au/the-positive-effects-of-pet-therapy-for-seniors/

Talent acquisition budgets: How to gain influence and buy-in from financial stakeholders

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:02:00 GMT

The shifting market and regional nuances can add complexity to creating a strategic talent acquisition (TA) plan, including the financials. There’s a way to speak finance’s language and points you should integrate into your TA budget conversation with them.

It pays for talent acquisition leaders to be skilled at effectively communicating a business case to CFOs and other finance stakeholders. This helps them better understand resourcing and hiring needs and adds context to the budget proposal.

Here’s how you can approach the conversation with finance leaders to secure the budget you need to advance the talent function.

Key considerations for finance when reviewing and allocating TA budgets

When gathering data and proposing a budget for your TA strategy, it’s important to incorporate how your initiatives tie back to the financial goals of the wider business. To strengthen your case, present a blend of cost savings and how investments will create positive and meaningful change.

These are the questions finance execs want answers to when budget conversations come up:

Cost savings: How can you increase productivity, reduce cost-per-hire and maximize technology investments to gain the greatest sum of benefits? That will be the data you need to prioritize sharing.
Cost avoidance: Similarly proactive, what are ways you can avoid costing the business money on other drains such as training, rehiring costs and retention efforts?
Flexibility: Market shifts always affect the budget and planned outcomes. How is your business case going to help mitigate potential impacts to the bottom line?

Compiling data to build your business case

Use data strategically and showcase how it affects the bottom line. For example, if reducing time-to-hire is always at the top of your company’s TA list, be sure to link how your efforts are prioritizing this in your long-term strategy. For CFOs, their top concerns are profit margins, lowering spend, ROI and impact on bottom line.

Additionally, be transparent about the base cost for improvements and include the absolute minimum investment needed. From there, you can show the impact that further investment would bring. Implementing new technology into your stack is a great example, as it’s often a hefty upfront cost, but recurring benefits will result over a long period of time from the investment. Be sure to understand the cost metrics associated with all your technology and platforms, not just new ones. It will showcase how everything ties in strategically to your TA initiatives and goals for the year, and it will help you gain buy-in from a big picture standpoint.

Tip: Part of developing a TA strategy is showing how your proposed budget will advance the business’s talent acquisition function. This approach of continual improvement involves operationalizing best practices between people, processes and platforms and communicating the importance of progress. Showing how data has improved and the anticipated ROI from your strategy will help you get executive buy-in and gain access to the resources you need to elevate the function.

Showcasing flexibility in the plan – and budget

Agility is one of the most important things you can express to a finance stakeholder to gain influence and buy-in. That means blending contingency into your budget with an understanding that you’ll pivot to changing market conditions as needed. Despite news reports about layoffs, it’s still a tight labor market with skills gaps, so focus on a combination strategy of upskilling your existing workforce and improving retention. This builds confidence in both cost and time savings from having to replace and retrain employees.

Volume fluctuations with hiring are bound to occur, but having flexibility and the agility to make adjustments will help prevent expenses related to rehiring and contractor work.

This flexibility includes having a list of potential roadblocks in your TA strategy. Be upfront about any obstacles you foresee affecting your strategy and proposed budget. This proves to stakeholders you’ve taken a considered, layered approach by thinking through all areas and scenarios.

Tying strategy into the organizational narrative

Part of a compelling TA strategy is having a working relationship with finance on what the operations side is experiencing. Align your initiatives with the business by communicating immediate versus long-term needs so you can path what’s realistic for the company to support. This is immensely helpful to financial stakeholders, as they can address needs and weigh whether the cost justifies the budget based on the company operations.

Building a plan that considers flexibility, scalability and cost savings makes an appealing business case for financial stakeholders. Any opportunity to save cost and time (time is money, after all) will paint your strategy and proposed budget in a favorable light.

Seeking external resources

In your strategy, remember to look outside your organization for extra resources for your region. In the UK, for example, to help post-COVID recovery, there’s a government plan for jobs incentives that pays employers to hire and train new apprentices and interns. This is a great way to mitigate hiring costs while diversifying the workforce and talent pipeline.

Other programs to consider include:

The Spanish government is subsidizing hiring permanent hiring of unskilled and unqualified young people by providing a bonus of €275 per month for up to three years.
The US has a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) available for employers hiring candidates from “target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment” including qualified veterans
Singapore’s 2023 budget is expanded upon their Enabling Employment Credit to cover wages for people with disabilities

It always pays to be creative and explore other cost-saving possibilities. This comes with additional benefits outside of purely fiscal, such as building community and creating a more inclusive workplace environment for employees. All contribute to positive change over time and shouldn’t be overlooked in your TA strategy.

Gain influence and buy-in with a strategic TA budget

Weaving in the right data and aligning your initiatives with finance’s top concerns will start a meaningful conversation that leads to getting the budget and resources you need as a TA leader. By staying flexible in responding to ongoing market shifts and committing to keeping cost savings and ROI in mind, you’ll gain respect with finance leaders and find yourself one step closer to implementing your long-term TA strategy.

Source: https://www.wilsonhcg.com/blog/talent-acquisition-budgets-how-to-gain-influence-and-buy-in-from-financial-stakeholders

How to Advance Your Career (plus 10 Insightful Tips)

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:57 GMT

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How To Hire For Emotional Intelligence

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:55 GMT

When considering the strengths and weaknesses of new talent, there’s a reason why emotional intelligence is high on the list of in-demand soft skills at work.

What’s more important in determining career success: cognitive intelligence (IQ) or emotional intelligence (EQ)? While the debate is ongoing, a better argument is perhaps considering intelligence as a full spectrum of hard and soft skills.

As the psychologist Howard Gardner suggests, intelligence is not simply a single general ability . In fact, there are multiple types of intelligences, and people may have strengths in a number of different areas.

Traditionally, hirers have tended to focus on a candidate’s hard skills in the recruitment process, which delves into whether they have the job skills, experience, knowledge, and expertise.

Unfortunately, where they may be falling short is uncovering the elusive soft skills of a candidate, which are the expressions of EQ, or emotional intelligence.

The good news is that a recent World Economic Forum survey found that emotional intelligence is currently one of the ten most in-demand skills by employers – but what’s all the fuss about?

What is emotional intelligence?

In the mid nineties, the Harvard Business Review hailed emotional intelligence as “a ground-breaking, paradigm-shattering idea” that remains to date as one of the most “influential business ideas of the decade” – so what exactly is emotional intelligence?

Most of us are familiar with the concept of IQ (intelligence quotient), which is a measure of your ability to solve problems and think logically. In contrast, EI or EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) instead measures your ability to understand and manage emotions.

Famous faces that are known for their high levels of emotional intelligence include Princess Diana, Richard Branson, Oprah and even Yoda, so there’s a growing cohort that believe your EQ can have a greater influence on your success in life than your IQ.

As the above celebrities showcase, EQ is an important asset to have for both personal and professional success, as having a high level of emotional intelligence ultimately helps people to handle interpersonal relationships empathetically and judiciously.

Unlike hard skills, which are related to knowledge, emotional intelligence is a set of soft skills that relate to – you guessed it – emotions.

According to Dr Ben Palmer , Founder EQ consulting firm Genos International, breaking down the core functions of emotional intelligence in our day to day lives include the following abilities:

Perceive and understand emotions within ourselves
Read emotions in others and demonstrate empathy
Express how we feel and reason with emotions
Manage emotions in ourselves and others

While the concept has become a bit of a buzzword in business circles, statistics from Harvard, Stanford, and Carnegie Foundation show that up to 87% of success stems from emotional intelligence.

From recruiting, promoting and developing their teams to shaping company culture and fulfilling their mission, values and goals, it therefore shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that companies including Amazon, Tesla, and American Express are all known for using emotional intelligence to drive organizational success.

What are the five key soft skills linked to emotional intelligence?

Soft skills is an umbrella term that describes key personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.

Unlike hard (technical) skills, they’re not necessarily something you’ll learn in a course, like data analytics or programming. Instead, they reflect your communication style, work ethic, and work style.

In commercial settings, soft skills is a term often used interchangeably with emotional intelligence. While they’re not quite the same thing, there are five key soft skills that someone with a high EQ will almost certainly possess.

Self-Awareness

Known as the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, hiring managers look for candidates who are self-aware because they tend to be organized and proactive. Without a good level of self awareness in the workplace, employees find it difficult to manage their time and perform at their peak on a regular basis.

A candidate who is self-aware may:

Ask for constructive feedback from their peers
Implement techniques like meditation or journalling to help pay attention to their thoughts and emotions
Work on personal development through goal-setting, a growth mindset, and pursuing passions

Self-Regulation

Often working hand-in-hand with self-awareness, self-regulation is the ability to regulate and manage your emotions. Of course, you need to be able to recognise them first, which is where self-awareness comes in. If you can’t self-regulate, you can’t self-soothe, making you more prone to outbursts or inappropriate responses.

A candidate who is able to self-regulate may:

Approach a challenge as an opportunity
Can soothe difficult emotions via breathwork, positive self-talk, or cognitive reframing
Communicate clearly and take action to diffuse conflict amongst team members

Social Skills

Workplaces are often filled with a wide variety of personalities, backgrounds, opinions and beliefs. As such, good social skills help us to build meaningful relationships and connect with others, even if we might not agree with them all of the time.

A candidate with strong social skills may:

Demonstrate active listening
Show interest in others and ask open-ended questions
Communicate confidently verbally and through body language

Empathy

The world would likely be a far better place if we all embraced empathy a little bit more. As the ability to understand how others are feeling, or to metaphorically be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, high empathy levels helps workplaces to achieve positive outcomes between clients and co-workers alike.

A candidate with empathy may:

Share their own feelings and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable
Show extra care or concern for someone who’s suffering
Engage in a social or community cause

Motivation

Almost every employer would say that they hold motivated staff in high regard, but this soft skill should come from a good place and not out of a need for validation. Motivated employees can lead to increased productivity and allow organizations to achieve higher levels of output, while cheering each other on.

A candidate with motivation may:

Take initiative and be innovative
Set small, measurable goals
Celebrate positive results

It is clear to all that hard or technical skills are essential in determining a candidate’s ability to perform well in a job. However, if you’re not hiring emotionally intelligent people, you’re not offering your company or your client access to the talent they deserve.

Why is emotional intelligence important in the workplace?

Once upon a time, showing your emotions at work was discouraged, frowned upon and even considered frightening.

Today, the rapid rise and recognition of soft skills means that a growing number of workplaces are consciously pursuing team members with a high EQ – not just those with well-developed hard skills .

It took almost a decade after the term was first coined in the late nineties for Rutgers psychologist Daniel Goleman to establish the importance of emotional intelligence to business leadership. In 1998, in what has become one of Harvard Business Review’s most enduring articles, “ What Makes a Leader ”, he states unequivocally:

“The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant – they do matter, but they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. My research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.”

Since then, and more so since the arrival of the global pandemic, it is undeniable that emotions play an important role in all aspects of our lives: and yes, that includes work.

This is due to the direct effect emotions have on our behavior. Keep in mind that emotions show up in our tone of voice, our facial expressions, and in our body language. Whether we like it or not, our emotions are fundamental to how we connect, communicate and collaborate with others – all of which are essential in just about any job.

With finely tuned emotional intelligence – understanding our emotional triggers, how they might play out in our behavior, and adjusting them accordingly – we can individually and collectively create a harmonious workplace culture.

In addition, it’s worth remembering that a harmonious workplace culture is not only beneficial for the mental wellbeing of team members, boosting productivity and increasing staff retention, but it also helps companies be more profitable and provides a sustainable competitive advantage. This philosophy applies to entry level employees, mid tier managers and CEOs alike.

If you’re already converted to the idea of consciously hiring for emotional intelligence, it can be tricky to know where to start. While the process isn’t as straightforward as asking your candidates to take an emotional intelligence test, there are plenty of tools to measure their potential soft skills.

What is the best way to determine emotional intelligence before hiring?

People arrive at the conclusion of hiring for emotional intelligence for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a case of realizing that technical skills alone are not enough to succeed in a role, while for others, they’re simply aiming for a drama-free office.

Whatever the logic, soft skills like emotional intelligence can’t be assessed in a personality test, on a resume, or even in face to face interviews.

Taking the time to conduct reference checks may give you an indication of what a candidate is like to work with, but asking the right questions during the interview stage may provide you with a bit more clarity.

Keeping in mind that not everyone performs at their best during face to face interviews, and the process is often riddled with human bias.

This may sound obvious but without realizing it, through our own emotional sensitivities, it can be easy to allow candidates to give vague answers without delving deeper through follow-up questions.

Behavioral interview questions that get job candidates to describe how they acted in past situations or would in future situations, are a great way to test emotional intelligence in an interview.

Ask questions such as:

Tell me about a time someone criticized your work. How did you respond?
Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem under pressure?
Can you tell me about a situation at work that made you feel frustrated?
Describe a time a change was instituted that you didn’t agree with and what followed.

Being attuned not only to the candidate’s verbal responses but also to how comfortable they appear when answering the uncomfortable questions, are good indicators of a high EQ. If a candidate shuffles around in their chair, freezes up or stumbles, it’s likely you need to keep pressing for some authentic answers.

However, there is a newer option that a growing number of hiring managers are turning to as a data-driven emotional intelligence test: a skills assessment.

Forget resumes, personality tests or even job interviews, as there is a newer option that a growing number of hiring managers are turning to as a data-driven emotional intelligence test: a skills assessment.

How can skills assessments uncover emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence will look different in many different roles, so it’s imperative to define what “high” EQ looks like in the context of the job. As an example, strong social skills and self-awareness would be beneficial in a sales role, but a director will need to demonstrate high emotional regulation.

Once you have clearly defined what emotional intelligence looks like on the job, you can create job simulation questions using skills assessment tools like Vervoe to test a candidate’s emotional intelligence skills that are relevant to the role.

Building assessments where candidates engage through audio and video recordings, as well as written responses will reveal how they are likely to behave in real life work situations.

What’s more, is that users can also incorporate technical or hard skills into their job simulation to effectively kill two birds with one stone.

To see how a candidate would perform in a role, the logical approach is to put them in a situation that matches the tasks and challenges they would face as closely as possible. A job simulation for a sales position could put candidates inside of a CRM style terminal, and assess them in a scenario where multiple deals have fallen over in the last 24 hours.

In the job simulation, they’re going to miss their targets. As the hiring manager, you’ll be in the position to assess their emotional state, and how they manage it. These soft skills are often ignored during the hiring process, but will provide an unparalleled insight into the candidate’s self-awareness and adaptive coping strategies.

Are you ready to join the skills-first revolution?

A growing number of organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that resumes, personality tests and even job interviews aren’t effective tools to assess talent – but what’s the alternative?

Vervoe is an end-to-end AI-powered solution that is proudly helping organizations to transform their hiring processes with skills testing, job simulations, and machine learning recruitment .

We predict performance by creating role specific skills assessments and job simulations . Not only does this level the playing field for candidates by removing potential bias, but we uncover skills at scale by revealing who can walk the walk, and not just talk the talk.

Ultimately, our job simulations focus on the work — and not the person. To see people do the job before they get the job, book a demo today and let our experienced team run you through Vervoe’s full range of ready-made and tailored solutions.

Source: https://vervoe.com/hiring-for-emotional-intelligence/

Streamlining Global Business Growth: The Power of Consulting Solutions in Expansion Strategies

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:53 GMT

In the rapidly moving landscape of global business, those aspiring to expand beyond their borders face a complex mix of challenges. These range from understanding and complying with diverse regulatory environments to adapting to cultural nuances across different regions. This is where tailored consulting solutions come into play, offering the strategic guidance and expertise needed to navigate these obstacles effectively. Bradford Jacobs is a beacon of excellence in providing global expansion consulting services. Their tailored approaches ensure that businesses not only overcome these challenges but also thrive in new markets.

The Importance of Expert Consulting in Global Expansion

The path to global expansion is filled with complexity. Regulatory, legal, and cultural challenges can create several obstacles to businesses aiming to operate internationally. Expert consulting plays a pivotal role in this scenario, offering the necessary insights and strategies to navigate these challenges efficiently. Bradford Jacobs, with its comprehensive consulting services, stands as an ally for businesses on this journey. Their expertise in global expansion streamlines the process, ensuring a smoother transition into new markets while mitigating risks and aligning with local compliance requirements.

Bradford Jacobs: At the Forefront of Global Expansion Consulting

Bradford Jacobs emerges as a leader in global expansion consulting, bringing to the table its expertise and a deep understanding of international business dynamics. Their suite of consulting services covers every aspect of global expansion, from regulatory compliance to talent acquisition and market analysis. With many a success story, numerous businesses have achieved remarkable growth and success in foreign markets through their partnership with Bradford Jacobs. These case studies underscore the effectiveness of their tailored solutions and the breadth of their expertise in facilitating successful global expansions.

Key Consulting Solutions for Global Business Growth with AgileHRO

Whilst the allure of international markets is undeniable, the road to global success can be fraught with complexities. Here at Bradford Jacobs, we understand these challenges, and we’re proud to collaborate with trusted partners like AgileHRO .

AgileHRO is a leading HR-tech company specialising in helping businesses navigate the intricacies of international expansion. They achieve this by offering tailored solutions that address the unique needs of different regions and industries.

Why are tailored solutions so important?

The regulatory landscape, business practices, and cultural nuances vary greatly across regions and industries. A “one size fits all” approach won’t cut it. AgileHRO recognises this, and its team of experienced professionals works closely with clients to understand their specific goals and challenges. This collaborative approach ensures that the consulting solutions offered are truly relevant and effective.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the key areas where AgileHRO’s expertise can be invaluable:

Market Entry Strategy: AgileHRO goes beyond generic research. Their team conducts in-depth analyses that consider the specific dynamics of your target market, including competitor landscapes, opportunities, and potential risks. Through collaboration, they develop a customized roadmap for a smooth transition into the new market.
Compliance and Legal Consulting: Operating legally and compliantly is crucial. AgileHRO’s legal and compliance specialists possess extensive experience navigating the intricate web of international laws and regulations specific to your target region and industry. This ensures your business operates within the legal framework with confidence.
HR Consulting: Building a strong international team is a cornerstone of sustainable growth. AgileHRO’s HR consultants understand global workforce dynamics with a focus on cultural nuances relevant to your chosen location and industry. They offer expert guidance on building a thriving international team.

Businesses can approach international expansion with greater clarity and confidence by partnering with trusted consulting firms like AgileHRO and Bradford Jacobs. Their tailored solutions empower companies to navigate the complexities of global business, fostering sustainable growth in the international marketplace.

Navigating Regulatory and Compliance Challenges

One of the most daunting aspects of global expansion is navigating the complex web of regulatory and compliance requirements across different jurisdictions. Bradford Jacobs offers businesses the guidance and support needed to ensure full compliance. Their deep knowledge of international laws and regulations becomes an invaluable asset for companies venturing into new territories, safeguarding against potential legal and financial pitfalls and ensuring a smooth operational transition.

Leveraging Local Expertise for Global Success

Understanding and integrating into local markets is pivotal for global business success. Bradford Jacobs leverages its global network to provide businesses with critical local insights and expertise. This local knowledge enables effective market entry strategies, ensures culturally sensitive marketing approaches, and helps in building meaningful local partnerships. The impact of such localised knowledge is insightful, often making the difference between a successful expansion and a costly misstep.

The Role of Technology in Streamlining Expansion

In today’s digital age, technology plays a central role in enabling efficient and effective global business expansion. Bradford Jacobs integrates cutting-edge technological solutions into its consulting services, enhancing the efficacy of expansion strategies. From data analytics to digital compliance tools, technology enables a more agile and informed approach to entering new markets, optimising operations, and engaging with local consumers and businesses.

Conclusion

The journey of global business expansion is challenging yet rewarding. Consulting solutions, particularly those offered by Bradford Jacobs and AgileHRO, provide the necessary expertise, insights, and support to navigate these complexities successfully. As businesses look towards international horizons, the partnership with Bradford Jacobs and AgileHRO and their agile consulting solutions stand as a cornerstone of success in the global marketplace. To learn more about our Consulting solutions, complete the form below to get in touch with our team

5 Ways to Future-Proof Your HR Department

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:51 GMT

With the rise of hybrid and work-from-home arrangements, along with worker shortages resulting from the Great Resignation, to say that workplaces are changing is somewhat of an understatement. Businesses have been forced to adapt, and that means they’re turning to their HR departments to manage unprecedented levels of change.

Human resources has always been a key department in any business, especially in times of change . If your HR department is not meeting the current needs of the organization and its workforce, your business will suffer the consequences. How can you ensure your HR department is ready for the future?

How HR Has Evolved Over the Years

Traditionally, the HR department was somewhat isolated from the rest of the organization, and it communicated with other departments via emails and internal communication. A typical human resources department would take care of regulatory compliance, onboarding and termination paperwork, payroll, and staff management. This siloed model often meant that the HR department was left out of strategic decisions.

Over the years, HR has witnessed a significant evolution from a primarily administrative role to a strategic and people-centric function. Today, HR managers shape company culture, create initiatives that foster employee engagement, and drive organizational success. HR departments are strategic partners and work to align HR strategies with the company’s goals.

The digital revolution brought automation and data analytics to HR management, simplifying tasks, saving time, and allowing HR to make data-driven decisions. 58% of organizations now depend on HR technology solutions for talent recruitment and retention. HR teams can now also handle employee wellness programs, talent development, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

Why HR Departments Can not Afford to Fall Behind

Workplaces have become more complex with the growth of hybrid and remote work models. The demands of today require redefined HR standards to meet the needs and expectations of the workforce.

The effectiveness of your human resources strategy can have a direct impact on your bottom line. By establishing a strategy, you set a baseline that lets you anticipate the demand for staff, so management can make data-driven decisions and handle staff changes better.

According to PwC’s 2022 HR and Tech Survey, the modernization of HR systems is one of the top ten HR challenges today.

Source – PWC HR Tech 2022 report

5 Ways to Future-Proof Your HR Department

Here are five ways you can future-proof your HR department:

1. Work With HR Tools and Technologies

A dedicated HR software application is one of the most helpful tools for streamlining workflows, finding talent, and measuring employee performance. The vast majority of organizations ( 80% ) use some kind of HR software, regardless of company size.

The digital transformation of HR processes is not that smooth. Even when it comes to HR technology solutions, 36% of HR professionals say the technology they have doesn’t meet their needs.

Source – HR Statistics by Forbes

One of the benefits of automation is being able to work digitally—many HR departments are using technology to go paperless and automate HR processes to save time and money. Streamlined workflows prevent human error and speed up otherwise time-consuming HR tasks. However, many organizations have been slow to adopt technology to solve HR challenges.

Gina O’Reilly , COO at Nitro Software, explained to Silicon UK:

“Our hope is that businesses can work 100% digitally at some point, but we know that change won’t happen overnight. The biggest challenges we see when organizations make a move to digital solutions are IT buy-in, training, and cost. In fact, our most recent report shows the top barriers as IT being too busy (42%), limited budgets (41%), and a lack of training and support (38%).

2. Revamp Your Hiring Process

One of the main tasks for HR departments is hiring new employees, and this is one of the processes that have the most impact on the company’s bottom line. Old cookie-cutter hiring practices are ineffective for attracting talent today, as qualified candidates come from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Revamping your hiring process can ensure you attract the right people to your company. Consider the following to future-proof your HR department’s hiring practices:

Focus on potential versus experience . Traditional hiring practices focus on the candidate’s experience and fail to consider skills that are more critical today, such as the ability to adapt to change. Modern HR teams should focus on candidates who demonstrate agility, a willingness to learn new skills, and a growth mindset.
Reassess work requirements . New roles and technologies mean job requirements are also evolving. Consider and redefine the skills required to meet the demands of your industry and the essential skills a potential candidate needs to thrive in the role and align your job descriptions to them.

3. Cultivate Passive Candidates

A passive candidate is an individual who is not actively seeking new job opportunities but may be open to changing roles. Targeting passive candidates can expand your talent pool so you have more chances to find the right professional. Consider the following strategies to attract passive candidates :

Invest in networking. Building relationships can connect you to potential candidates. Use social media platforms, networking events, and industry conferences to develop your employer brand and establish a talent pipeline for current and future openings.
Leverage technology: Recruitment tools and platforms can help you identify and engage with passive candidates. AI-powered sourcing tools can help you discover and connect with candidates.

4. Focus More on Employee Development

If you want to future-proof your HR department, look inward. Invest in a talent development track for current employees, upskilling your workforce so they can adapt to the growing needs of your industry. The following approaches can help:

Give your employees a personalized career development plan. Create an individualized plan, taking into account the employee’s strengths and expectations. Tailor the plan to help them meet their goals by helping them acquire the necessary skills. Implementing advanced performance management systems can facilitate rapport by simplifying feedback, coaching, and achievement recognition processes.
Create a continuous learning environment. Provide opportunities for professional development that encourage your employees to learn, such as training programs, workshops, and mentorship. Create a company culture that fosters learning, adaptability, self-improvement, and curiosity.

5. Perform Gap Analyses Consistently

Gap analysis is a workforce planning process where HR managers assess their employees’ skills and competencies and compare them to the skills the organization requires to meet its goals. A well-executed gap analysis can identify where the organization should strengthen the workforce’s skills and inform hiring or upskilling practices. Consider the following steps:

Evaluate current skills. Assess your workforce’s current skills and identify where they need to improve and upgrade. In some cases, the gap will show where you need to hire new personnel. If so:
Assess job descriptions. When you’re hiring, ensure that the job descriptions accurately describe the opening in terms of skills, requirements, and expectations.
Review the employee handbook. How long has it been since the last time an HR professional reviewed the handbook? Check if your policies align with compliance regulations and legal requirements. Ask your employees for feedback on the handbook.
Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs. Review how the talent development program at your organization is working. Ask your employees for insights and ideas for improvement.
Identify skill requirements. Look at your industry’s trends and anticipate which skill will be needed to compete.

Adaptability and Technology Are the Keys to the Future of HR

Future-proofing your HR department is a matter of embracing change. By improving the hiring processes, expanding your talent pool, and emphasizing internal mobility and employee development, your HR department is well-equipped to face ever-changing business challenges.

Source: https://cvviz.com/blog/5-ways-to-future-proof-your-hr-department/

Is your talent acquisition function a revenue generator?

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:49 GMT

People are your No. 1 asset (yes, even if you’re a SaaS company). Without them, your business wouldn’t exist. We know this, and yet, one of talent acquisition’s (TA) biggest struggles remains effectively framing its revenue-generating capabilities.

TA is a direct investment in your people. With global skills shortages, building a business case around TA is the best approach to gaining a competitive advantage in the market, driving revenue growth and improving your employer brand.

Making investments in talent acquisition

So, what does “investing” in talent acquisition look like? For Cisco, the result is an impressive market cap of $215.5 billion and rankings on dozens of best workplace lists for years. In 2022, they were ranked as the No. 3 World’s Best Workplace, according to Glassdoor. So, what’s their secret?

Francine Katsoudas, Cisco’s executive vice president (EVP) and chief people, policy and purpose officer, speaks to the company’s “Conscious Culture” to take meaningful action through — you guessed it — its people. At its core, Cisco’s policies are human-centric, and it delivers on its promises of building an inclusive future.

Other companies reap rewards from investing in talent acquisition too. Research from Northpass indicates organizations with structured onboarding saw a 60% year-over-year improvement in revenue. TA is about much more than finding the right person for the job; it’s about the entire lifecycle of both candidates (even if they don’t get hired!) and employees.

The more we view talent acquisition as a method to improve all areas of people, processes and technology, the better businesses can use it to meet operational goals and hit revenue targets.

Talent acquisition partnerships generate revenue

Employees stay almost 2x longer if the employer is highly committed to internal hiring.
Source: LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting 2023 report

Quality TA partnerships bring more to the table than attracting and hiring talent. Retention is a major focus in this labor market.

It’s no secret that high turnover rates are costly and impact the bottom line. Keeping top talent drives revenue by reducing employee turnover costs. Without a strong internal mobility or talent mobility program , you could very well lose out on your best people. In this market, many people are open to considering new roles and are willing to switch to a company more in line with their beliefs and desires (ranging from benefits, flexibility and social causes). If you have growth opportunities to offer employees, you lessen the risk of falling victim to this scenario. A TA partner can help you put structure around an internal mobility program and prioritize and facilitate hiring internally.

By leveraging experts to enhance your talent acquisition function, you’ll experience faster time-to-hire, which has a strong impact on the bottom line (especially for revenue-generating roles). This is one of the reasons it’s important to do your due diligence when it comes to finding a talent acquisition partner. If they have expertise in your industry or the business-impacting roles for which you’re hiring, they’ll be able to make a difference in your TA function (and organization) speedily. In the same vein, a higher quality-of-hire will result in increased productivity, quicker time-to-productivity and higher overall organizational impact.

Something that’s often forgotten is just how valuable it is for internal TA teams to focus on strategic organizational priorities while an external partner focuses on sourcing, screening and administrative tasks of the talent function. They will not only free up the team’s time but keep the operations of the hiring and pipelining going full speed ahead. Access to highly skilled (and often passive) talent can come from the networks talent partners build exclusively for their clients for use later on.

How effective is your TA function at generating revenue?

Understanding the effectiveness of your current TA function is key to making improvements and turning it into a revenue-generating operation.

Consider these questions to assess how well your TA function is generating revenue:

Do you regularly poll employees (quarterly or otherwise) on how happy they are at your company? After all, they are your biggest asset and revenue contributors.
Do you have a talent community to keep your potential talent pool informed of job openings and company happenings? Shortening the timeframe of vacant roles will reduce lost opportunities.
What’s the average tenure of your employees? Strong retention contributes to higher productivity and cost savings.
Do you have a comprehensive onboarding program? How do new hires rate it? Starting off on the right foot means contributing to the organization quicker upon starting.
Are employees able to opt for mentorship or one-on-one coaching at your organization? With someone to guide them, new hires can contribute more expeditiously and with confidence. Comradery also breeds loyalty.
How do you measure quality-of-hire? How does it rate? With a focus on hiring the right people for your organization, you’ll be able to make a bigger impact in your industry.
Do you use data to make informed decisions about talent? Making smart decisions – from hiring locations to consider and positions to pipeline for – will set your function up for success and save on lost time by going down misleading paths.
Do you have competitive recruitment ratios for your industry, such as interview-to-hire ratio, selection ratio and success ratio? (Average time-to-hire is 44 days in 2023 – up one day from the prior year according to research from a Global Talent Climate report.) Benchmarking against your hiring competition will lend insight into how you can make improvements.
Do you have policies in place around workplace flexibility and ensure work-life balance for employees? Employees will be able to best contribute to your bottom line when they are working in an environment they thrive in.
What percentage of candidates abandon a job application and leave it unfinished? You might be missing out on top talent that will have a grand impact on your organization if they’re getting frustrated with your lengthy or chaotic application or interview process.
Do you hire full time, part time and contract workers as part of a holistic TA strategy? You can expect different types of employees to contribute to your organization in different ways. Having access to each of these talent communities will benefit your bottom line.
Do you recruit through employees’ networks? According to Aptitude Research, 62% of organizations with employee referral programs have decreased their average time-to-fill for referred candidates who were hired. Also, those who are ingrained within their work networks are more loyal, collaborative and productive.
Do you have a strong employer value proposition (EVP) for ideal hiring profiles? Hiring people who align to your vision are faster to production.
Does your business invest in new recruiting technologies, such as labor market intelligence platforms , generative AI solutions and social listening tools? Being on the cutting edge of technology can increase efficiencies and save on costs.
Do you screen language in job descriptions for biases so it’s inclusive to all candidates? Diversity of employees is important for innovation and being a leader in your space.

This list is a great starting point to see the revenue-generating capabilities of your TA function. Between skills shortages and a candidate-driven market, employers are finding it challenging to attract and secure the talent they need to adapt to an ever-changing market. That’s where the benefit of a partnership comes in.

Talent acquisition partnerships benefit all businesses, even those that already have in-house functions. They provide in-house teams with the bandwidth to successfully execute their other TA strategies and priorities.

Don’t let your business fall behind. Making moves now will help ensure a strong workforce, both now and in the future.

Source: https://www.wilsonhcg.com/blog/is-your-talent-acquisition-function-a-revenue-generator

Coping Skills for Anxious Job Seekers

Thu, 30 May 2024 04:01:47 GMT

Job searching can be stressful, even for the most confident person. It can be more challenging if you’re anxious and worried about the hiring process, as well as about when you will be hired for a new position.

If you’re unemployed , the stress can be compounded with concern about how long it’s going to take to find a new job , and how you’re going to pay the bills until you line up a new position. When you haven't had to job search or interview in a while, that can add to your stress level as well.

Note

There are many factors in a job hunt that can cause anxiety, but there are ways to reduce stress and take control.

You might never consider job searching fun, but at least you might be able to turn it into a positive experience rather than a difficult one.

The Reasons for Job Search Anxiety

“People are anxious for different reasons," said Dr. Janet Scarborough Civitelli, psychologist, career counselor, and founder of VocationVillage.com . "It helps to identify the thoughts and situations that are causing the most distress, and address them one by one.”

Some of the most common reasons for job-search anxiety, and strategies for handling them, include:

Feeling Overwhelmed

Getting overwhelmed by how big a project it seems to land a new job

Strategy: To conduct an effective job search, break the overall project into manageable tasks. Each one completed will bring you closer to the job offer that you seek.

Worrying About Uncertainty

Disliking the feeling of uncertainty about how long the job search will take

Strategy: Shift the emphasis away from the outcome and focus on the part that you can control, i.e. the specific actions you will take.

Concern About Not Getting Hired

Telling yourself scary stories ("No one will want to hire me" or "There are no good jobs")

Strategy: Find inspiration by reading success stories about people who have overcome obstacles to land employment. You can also redirect your energy toward concrete steps that increase your odds of landing a job. Two of the best activities are meeting new people and developing new professional skills .

Tips for Managing Job Hunting Anxiety

Take Care of the Details First

Another way to alleviate some of the stress involved in job hunting is to take care of everything that needs to be done in a timely manner.

Apply for Unemployment: If you’ve been laid off, apply for unemployment .
Learn About Your Benefits: Know what will happen to your employee benefits when you move on . When you have a 401(k) to roll over, review your options for handling it. Once you’ve checked it off your list, it’s one less thing to worry about.
Write a Resume: Create a basic resume and cover letter that you can customize each time you apply for a job.
Update LinkedIn: Review your LinkedIn profile and give it a makeover if it needs one.
Get References: Line up some references who will attest to your skills and qualifications .

Get Organized

Your search will be less stressful if you organize it and treat it like a job. If you’re out of work, consider it your full-time job. If you’re employed, schedule part-time hours to spend job hunting. Choose one of these easy ways to organize your job search , and keep track of your applications, networking outreach, and the career events you’re planning to attend.

When you have a plan in place, it will help minimize the anxiety because you’ll be keeping track of what you’ve done and what you need to do next. You won’t have to think about the task until it’s time to handle it.

Focus on Company Fit

Remember that your job search isn't just about the company hiring you. It’s also about whether the employer is the best fit for the next step on your career ladder.

That’s as important for you as it is for the company, and if you feel like it’s not the right job for you, you can politely decline if you get an offer . If it’s earlier in the process, another option is to withdraw your application.

When you find a job that's a good fit, the process can be more exciting than stressful—especially if you get the offer!

Practice and Prepare

Spend some time job hunting, even when you’re happy in your current position and you don’t have to. With this approach, you’ll keep your resume up-to-date, your interview skills polished , and your confidence level high.

Note

The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be during an interview. Knowing what type of position you’re seeking, and being able to articulate why you’re qualified for the role , will help you ace the interview.

Write an Elevator Pitch: Create an elevator pitch that describes who you are and what you have to offer. Practice saying it in front of a family member, make a video of yourself to see how you did, or say it in front of a mirror. The more comfortable you are talking about yourself, the more confident you’ll feel during the interview.

Apply For a Job (or Two): If you see an interesting job, apply for it. It’s good practice, and it may be a better opportunity than you expected. You’ll be less anxious if you’re going after a role that isn’t your dream job, and you’ll be more prepared when that perfect position comes along. And you never know—that job you weren’t that excited about could be your next terrific career move.

Learn About the Company: Spend time researching the company , so you’re informed about the company’s products, people, mission, and objectives. The more you know, the easier it will be to have a conversation with the interviewer.

Practice Answering Interview Questions: Practice responding to the most common interview questions employers ask, and have a few questions of your own ready .

Get an Interview Outfit Ready: Take time to try on what you’re going to wear, and get it ready the evening before your interview. That will save you from stressing over last-minute attire decisions.

Know How the Job Search Process Works

Don’t expect to find a new job overnight, though that can happen. For most job seekers, it’s a process, not a one-shot deal. You might not get the first position you apply for, but that most likely means that it wasn’t the job for you. There will be plenty of other positions to consider.

Even though it sounds like it might create more anxiety, it can be helpful if you have a lot going on. When you’re busy sending out resumes, networking, attending career events, and interviewing, you’ll have less time to obsess about every little detail.

Note

Don’t count on one single opportunity. The more jobs you are pursuing, the more chances you’ll have to make the best impression and get an offer. Don’t stop applying until you’ve committed to a new job.

Know When to Take a Break

Thanks to smartphones and the internet, it’s almost too easy to stay connected. But, it’s vitally important not to spend every waking hour focused on how you’re going to get hired for your next job.

The more you think about it, the higher your anxiety level will be. Instead, stick to your schedule and take breaks.

Note

Exercise, yoga, reading a book, walking your dog, turning off your computer, and ignoring your phone when you’re not in job-hunting mode can help reduce anxiety.

“You will find a job. It may take longer than you'd hope, but you'll find something," said Erin Kennedy, president of Professional Resume Services . "It sometimes takes companies time during the vetting and interviewing process. Patience isn't easy when you are out of a job, but perhaps go for a 30-minute walk every day, try yoga (you can do a class on YouTube or online for free!), call a friend, or clean out the drawer/closet/room you've been meaning to get to. Feeling productive while unemployed really helps.”

Get Support and Assistance

One of the best ways to reduce your anxiety is to talk with others. You may be surprised to learn that almost everyone you know has been in this position at one time or another. You can get some words of wisdom and support if you share your anxiousness with a career support group, friends, or family.

If your anxiety is overwhelming, remember that you’re not the first person who is having a difficult time. A career coach or counselor can help you focus on your goals, get your resume and cover letter in order, target your job search, and help you with coping skills for interview stress. If you need more help, your career counselor or primary care physicianc an likely provide a referral to a therapist who can assist.

Consider it an Opportunity

One of the best ways to look at a job search from a positive perspective is to consider your job search an opportunity to pursue the next stage of your career, rather than as an ordeal you have to struggle through.

“Your career is about more than one opportunity, interview, or company," said Jonathan Carter, organizer of Leap2HR, a LinkedIn group for new and transitioning HR professionals. "So stop worrying about 'landing the right one,' and just embrace the opportunity for change. Meet people. Explore different organizations. Look outside of the places you'd expect to find your next role. Don't focus on changing your job. Focus on changing your life for the better—and the job will come.”

Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/coping-skills-for-anxious-job-seekers-4589454

Video call etiquette: Essential tips from recruitment experts

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:13:32 GMT

Video calls are here to stay whether we like them or not. The technology is getting better, it connects remote workers, and it makes for better business relationships when we see each other’s face.

As with all business tools, as video calls become widespread practise, it requires a certain level of etiquette. While you may not know it, proper video call etiquette is a very real thing.

The phrase ‘video call etiquette’ may sound incredibly Victorian. Still, you wouldn’t show up for an in-person meeting without giving thought to the impression you will make. The same applies to video calls.

Brushing up on your video call etiquette helps ensure meetings are more effective and enables you to make a good impression. Here are 15 video call rules for doing business in our often remote, always-connected world.

1. Test your tech in advance

Tech difficulties are all too common. Be sure to test your sound, video, microphone, and screen sharing in advance of your calls . Pay attention to things like good natural light and background noise.

Additionally, know how to use the software you are using. Don’t be the person who spends the whole video call asking people how to do something. It is not up to your team to troubleshoot for you, it’s your responsibility to learn how to use your computer.

You can do a test call with a co-worker in advance, or sign on 15 minutes early to test it all out. Wasting everyone’s time with technical issues is bad video call etiquette.

2. Be respectful of people’s time

It is very unnecessary to invite your whole team to every meeting. This applies to in-person meetings and video calls. Only invite people who will have something to contribute or actually need the information that will be provided. If you are unsure if you need a co-worker on a call, you probably don’t.

Try to limit video calls to shorter durations; aim for 30 minutes max. Video call etiquette requires you to be respectful of your team time. If people want to discuss anything in more detail, let them stay longer on the call after everything else has been discussed.

3. Limit how many people are on the call

Limit meetings to smaller groups, max 10 attendees, to ensure your video call is brief and effective. It’s harder to stay on topic during video conference calls when 20-30 people are trying to be heard!

4. Make an agenda and stick to it

To keep your meeting on time and focused, create an agenda ahead of time and stick to it. This will help you discuss everything you want to in the allocated time. It will also allow people to come to the meeting prepared for the discussion.

5. Pay attention

It should go without saying but pay attention! You may think others can’t see you typing away or checking your phone, but they can. The camera is focused on you, meaning the attention is on you more than in a meeting room. If you aren’t paying attention, it’s incredibly obvious and disrespectful to everyone in the meeting.

Proper video call etiquette demands you be 100% focused on the call, and not look away at anything else. If you wouldn't be visibly distracted in a face-to-face meeting, the same should apply for video calls.

- Robert Caldwell, Recruitment Specialist at Airswift.

6. Be on time

While you may be able to get away with sneaking into a physical meeting late, everything is highly visible in a video call. If you are even a few minutes late, be aware that everyone is probably waiting for you to come online to start.

As with face-to-face meetings, arrive 5 minutes early. This allows everyone to exchange pleasantries before the meeting, so it can start on time.

7. Report absence of lateness

If for any reason you can’t make a video call or will be late joining, inform the person who is leading the meeting as soon as possible. Call, email, or text them – consider doing more than one to ensure they are aware. You don’t want them holding up the meeting waiting for you.

8. Make eye contact

It is common to look at the video feed of others, or yourself, during a video call. But really you should be looking at the camera to maintain the impression of eye contact.

Position your webcam eye level or higher. This way you will be looking directly into the camera, not down, and it will look more natural. If this means you need to stack your laptop or screen on some books, do it.

9. Speak clearly

While you may have a crystal-clear connection, everyone else may not. Don’t mumble or speak softly. Always speak clearly and pronunciation every word. Speak at a volume to make yourself heard, but don’t shout. If people can’t hear you, try adjusting the volume ion your microphone.

A simple way to make sure everyone can hear you is to ask yourself “Would my grandparents be able to hear and understand this conversation?” If the answer is no, adjust accordingly. This goes for telephone interviews , too.

10. Don’t think you can get away with turning off your camera

If everyone else has their camera on, video call etiquette demands you must too. Be prepared for it. We are used to working from home, and “cameras on” has become the norm.

Video helps add a human touch to virtual meetings, which can combat isolation and strengthen team relationships. It also helps the meeting facilitator identify who is talking, or if anyone’s attention is wandering.

11. Mute yourself when not speaking

Even when you are not speaking, and think you are being quiet, most microphones can pick up even minor background noise. These sounds can be incredibly distracting and may prevent the speaker from being heard.

Making it practise to use the mute button whenever you're not talking. Just remember to pay attention so you can unmute yourself quickly when you need to respond. With most software, it’s as simple as a click of the button. Little things like this can really improve first impressions!

- Sarah Stewart, Recruitment Specialist at Airswift.

12. Look professional

There might not be a dress code whilst working from home, but you still need to look professional , or at least “nice”. You won’t be expected to wear a suit, but you will be expected to dress appropriately for your video call.

Video call etiquette requires you to still take pride in your appearance. Comb your hair, wear clean clothes, put on some pants. This is all part of your reputation, and first impressions still count.

13. Don’t interrupt when someone is speaking

While you don’t want to waste anyone’s time, you don’t want to rush everyone either. It is video call etiquette not to “double-speak”. This is when attendees speak over one another, and no one is heard.

To avoid this, wait for a second after someone has finished speaking before you reply. This pause allows time to ensure they have said everything they needed to. Alternatively, you can instate a “handoff” procedure that gives everyone a chance to respond.

14. Make sure you aren’t “live”

There is nothing more embarrassing than thinking no one can hear/see you and complaining out loud about your co-workers or work situation. As you join a meeting, your video or mic may already be on, and if you don’t end a call properly, they remain on.

Save everyone lethal amounts of embarrassment and assume everything is live the second you click to join a call. Assume the same until you close out of a call completely – or close the software. Practising video call etiquette in this regard helps prevent unfortunate incidents that could result in a call with HR.

15. Don’t start a video call without warning

Surprising someone with a virtual call is the cardinal sin of video call etiquette. To avoid this, send them a quick email or chat message to offer a heads up and request permission. Get an explicit “Yes” before you start a video call. If you can’t get a response, try a call first and switch to video if you get the go-ahead. No one wants to be caught off guard on camera.

Don’t forget video call etiquette once the call starts

While all of this may make sense now, it is very easy to forget video call etiquette once your virtual meeting has started. Remember these tips so that you can lead and participate in video calls the right way. Maintaining video call etiquette will allow these calls to be as collaborative and effective as possible.

Source: https://www.airswift.com/blog/video-call-etiquette

The Power of Continuous Learning: Strategies for Professional Development in the Workplace

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:11:19 GMT

Relevance is a moving target in the workplace. Many of the skills that employers prize today were irrelevant just a few years ago, and a few years from now, those skills may cease to offer any value to organizations.

Take soft skills as an example. Twenty years ago, no one would have felt compelled to highlight their expertise in soft skills on their resume because most organizations did not value them. Today, however, studies show that 85 percent of your career success can be attributed to your soft skills.

Will soft skills like creativity and decision-making remain relevant in the age of artificial intelligence ? If so, they will most likely take a backseat to the skills that are needed to leverage AI-driven tools.

Individuals and organizations must embrace continuous learning to excel and stay relevant in this rapidly evolving landscape. Having an MBA diploma on the wall of your office may have been a sufficient sign of your professional development 20 years ago, but today’s professionals must continuously take steps to grow their knowledge and skills.

Understanding continuous learning

Continuous learning refers to the ongoing process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and competencies in the flow of your daily work throughout one’s career. For the individual, embracing continuous learning means accepting that you can always find ways to improve. It is a commitment to value lifelong learning and adaptability.

Whereas an advanced degree is a one-time event that focuses on big-picture generalities — such as finance, management, or marketing — continuous learning enhances basic business knowledge with the specific skills needed to stay up-to-date in the evolving business world and tackle today’s challenges.

The rapid pace at which AI-driven tools have appeared in the business world provides an excellent example of the value of continuous learning. Organizations that wish to harness the power of AI don’t have the time to send employees back to school to get an AI degree. Even if they did, they’d be challenged to find schools teaching anything relevant to the topic.

Alternatively, an approach like social learning opens the doors for employees to connect with those who are actually using AI-driven tools in today’s business environment to tackle real-world challenges. Social learning empowers continuous learning that is in the moment and always up-to-date, meaning employees can be empowered by relevant information and training rather than curriculums that are at least five years out of date.

For organizations, creating a continuous learning culture drives the engagement and innovation that marks today’s top companies. Employees who are encouraged to make learning a part of their daily work routine experience new levels of personal growth and job satisfaction. They are also more engaged , which is something that many organizations are struggling to achieve in today’s business world.

Establishing development goals

Setting clear and measurable goals for professional growth is an essential part of a continuous learning strategy. Goals must be defined, relevant metrics must be identified, and organizations must develop a plan for pursuing their goals and stay committed to them.

One of the downfalls of continuous learning is the failure on behalf of the organization to keep it a central part of the culture. If the organization doesn’t feed it, it won’t survive. Caring for continuous learning involves committing resources to it, acknowledging those who engage, and keeping content relevant and aligned with overall business goals.

For larger organizations, managers can be responsible for developing and tracking development goals specific to their teams. By assessing the areas in which their teams are underperforming, they can determine which skills employees need to develop further. In some organizations, employees are expected to set development goals for themselves, identify the professional skills they feel would improve their performance, and share their progress with their supervisors.

Maximizing learning opportunities

When learning becomes a communal endeavor rather than a subjective one, there’s a higher chance that employees will want to participate and teach their peers about new skills they have learned. This is the kind of enthusiasm and collaboration you want to foster within the organization by creating a culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing.

Many of today’s most innovative and impactful learning strategies inspire engagement by capitalizing on the advantages of social learning. By leveraging platforms that mirror the features and functionality of social media, social learning allows talent development to happen in a familiar and flexible context.

Social learning also allows professional development to occur in a supportive environment where employees come together to share practical and actionable insights rather than theoretical. This collaborative learning enhances the effectiveness and accessibility of tribal knowledge, which is often underutilized in professional development.

Measuring the impact of continuous learning

Continuous learning is unlike traditional learning approaches in which impact is measured primarily by the number of people exposed to training. Instead, continuous learning can be seen in the change it inspires within the organization.

Measuring that change requires regularly assessing individual progress, skill development, and engagement. Learning goals and progress can be incorporated into self-assessments and performance evaluations. Feedback mechanisms can gauge the employee’s satisfaction with continuous learning programs. Still, the most accurate measure of the effectiveness of continuous learning will be seen in improved productivity, employee satisfaction, and innovation.

Today’s business world is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Organizations that want to stay relevant must constantly empower their employees to update their knowledge and skills. Continuous education is the key to building that type of culture. It is the strategy for professional development that works for the future of work.

Source: https://trainingmag.com/the-power-of-continuous-learning-strategies-for-professional-development-in-the-workplace/

Managers: Are You Building a Culture of Trust?

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:11:17 GMT

We spend a third of our days at work on average. This work environment can either enhance or diminish employee morale and productivity in your company. Learning how to build trust with employees can improve productivity, engagement, and confidence.

Trust in any organization works on three levels:

At a company level in terms of culture
At a team level concerning the relationships among the members
At an interpersonal level between two people.

You can't always control your organization's level of trust, but you can certainly influence it by building trust in your immediate work environment.

Building trust with employees in a smaller unit where you have more control helps to propagate trust in the larger organization.

If an employee doesn't trust their manager, the company suffers. Sure, ruling through fear works, but the employee will do the bare minimum amount of work needed to keep their job.

Building trust with employees is key to beating your competition, not to mention increasing employee retention.

5 ways leaders at all levels can create a culture of trust in the workplace

1. Be honest and supportive

Even when it's difficult, tell the truth and not just what you think people want to hear. Understand what employees need to know and communicate facts while being considerate of their effort and sensitivity to their feelings.

Showing support and understanding for your team members, even when they make mistakes, goes a long way in building trust as a leader.

2. Listen

Actively listen and check for understanding by paraphrasing what you've heard. Use a variety of feedback tools to ensure everyone has the chance for their voice to be heard.

You must engage in dialogue with employees, giving them the opportunity to ask questions, get answers, and voice concerns. Then, apply what your internal stakeholders share for future actions.

3. Be consistent

Consistently doing what you say you'll do builds trust over time – it can't be something you occasionally do. Keeping commitments must be the essence of your behavior, in all relationships, day after day and year after year.

4. Model the behavior you seek

Nothing speaks more loudly about an organization's culture than the leader's behavior, which influences employee action and has the potential to drive their results.

If you say teamwork is essential, reinforce the point by collaborating across teams and functions. Give credit when people do great work and you'll set the stage for an appreciative culture.

5. Build in accountability

When you and other leaders acknowledge your mistakes as well as successes, employees see you as credible and will follow your lead.

You can encourage honest dialogue and foster accountability by building in processes that become part of the culture. For example, evaluate every project (positives, negatives, things to change) or a status report and next steps in each meeting agenda (tracking deadlines and milestones).

You build and maintain trusting relationships and a culture of trust in your workplace one step at a time through every action you take and every interaction you have with your coworkers and employees.

Trust may be fragile, but it can grow strong over time with the deliberate efforts above. Check out the many benefits trust brings to a workplace.

Manager behaviors that build a culture trust

Ask yourself these questions to assess your personal behavior and learn how to create an awareness of the daily practices that encourage a culture of trust in your workplace.

Am I listening to my employees and seeking their ideas, suggestions and opinions?
Am I open to employee ideas and including those ideas in the decision-making process?
Am I setting and communicating consistent expectations regarding team and individual performance objectives?
Do I tell employees the truth and follow through by doing what I say I am going to do, even when it is difficult?
Am I treating everyone with the same dignity and respect that I expect and would like to receive without revealing bias, judgment or personal favoritism?
Are my career goals or a personal agenda interfering with my team's performance and commitment to my employees' success?
Do I demonstrate concern and caring for each employee, workgroup and department?
Do I set a good example and conduct myself in a manner consistent with the organization's mission, vision, and values?

Trust must be earned. It comes from a conscious effort to walk your talk, keep your promises and align your behavior with your values. Building trust is worth the effort because once trust is lost, it can be very difficult to recover.

Determine if your organization is a high-trust culture

Reach out to us about our culture management platform so you can decode the levels of trust in your workplace - and how to grow it.

Source: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/managers-are-you-building-a-culture-of-trust

How to build a culture of learning at your organisation?

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:53:13 GMT

Building a culture of learning within your organisation is more than just a trend; it's a strategic imperative in today's dynamic business landscape. It has been found through LinkedIn's research that employees who dedicate time to learning are less likely to experience stress by 47%. They are also 23% more equipped to handle significant responsibilities and are 39% more prone to feeling productive and successful. This highlights that fostering a culture of learning is no longer a luxury, but an essential component for businesses. While businesses are gradually acknowledging this and investing in learning, it is essential to understand the benefits of creating a culture of learning and how to enable it without imposing it upon employees.

Why is it important to have a culture of learning?

Having a culture of learning within an organisation is essential for various reasons.

Adaptability: Learning enables organisations to adapt quickly to new technologies, market trends, and consumer behaviours. By continuously upskilling employees, organisations can respond effectively to changes, staying ahead of the curve.
Innovation: A learning culture fosters creativity and innovation. When employees are encouraged to explore new ideas and approaches, it cultivates an environment where innovation thrives. This leads to the development of innovative solutions to challenges, driving business growth.
Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Investing in employee development and growth leads to higher levels of engagement and job satisfaction. Employees feel valued when organisations prioritise their development, leading to increased loyalty and retention.
Leadership Development: Providing opportunities for employees to develop leadership skills and take on new responsibilities helps build a pipeline of talent for future leadership roles. This ensures continuity and sustainability within the organisation.
Competitive Advantage: Companies with a strong learning culture are better positioned to maintain a competitive advantage. By continuously investing in employee development, organisations can stay ahead of competitors and drive innovation in their respective industries.

How to facilitate a passion for learning at your organisation?

Here are six strategies to foster a culture of continuous learning:

1. Embrace self-managed learning:

Encourage employees to take ownership of their learning journey by shifting from a managed-learning approach to self-directed learning. This shift fosters a continuous learning cycle, igniting an active interest in their personal growth and development, rather than feeling like training is pushed onto them. It's important to emphasise the "why" behind learning initiatives and provide platforms for self-paced courses and training to support their autonomy and engagement.

2. Empower employees to take initiative:

Provide access to diverse learning resources and recognize and reward proactive learning behaviours. Foster a supportive environment where knowledge sharing is encouraged and allow employees to design their own learning initiatives individually or as a community.

3. Involve management:

Our survey indicates that incorporating the support of line managers and senior executives can bolster the learning culture and align learning with the corporate vision. It was found that companies tend to excel when line managers actively encourage learning, and senior executives are involved in internal communications. It is advisable to urge senior leaders to emphasise the significance of learning and establish connections with employees to gain a better understanding of their needs.

4. Recognise learning achievements:

Implement recognition programs using badges or gamification to acknowledge individual achievements. Ensure that recognition encourages skill development and genuine enthusiasm for learning.

5. Build ecosystems for collaboration:

Establish internal learning networks to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among employees. Encourage employees to connect with others who share similar interests, passion, and expertise, reducing the need for external mentors or coaches.

6. Set a multi-pronged approach:

Offering employees diverse avenues to explore their interests is crucial for fostering continuous learning. Provide opportunities for personal growth beyond job-related skills to fulfil individual aspirations. Incorporate dynamic elements like case studies, real-life scenarios, and cutting-edge technology to elevate learning experiences along with cross-functional collaboration, work-life balance, and participation in corporate social responsibility initiatives. These elements collectively contribute to a holistic approach to learning and development within the organisation.

Ignite the passion for learning in your organisation

Nurturing a culture of learning is not only vital for continuous employee development but also for sustaining business growth over time. One effective way to begin is by conducting an Employee Experience Survey, which can help you grasp your employees' career aspirations, personal growth objectives, and current motivations.

Armed with these insights, create an environment conducive to growth and development to help employees progress. Prioritise a holistic learning approach that allows employees to explore their preferred learning methods, while also breaking down barriers and fostering supportive networks with mentors, coaches, and senior leaders.

To build a passion for learning, it's crucial to empower employees to take ownership of their learning journey, involve management in supporting the learning culture, recognise and celebrate learning achievements, and create collaborative ecosystems for knowledge sharing. By accentuating learning and development, businesses can foster a thriving environment where employees are motivated to innovate, grow, and succeed collectively, ensuring resilience and longevity in today's dynamic marketplace.

If you need help turning your learning vision into reality, get in touch with our TalenTeam experts.

Source: https://talenteam.com/blog/how-to-build-a-culture-of-learning-at-your-organisation/

Research: 3 Employee Experiences Most Likely to Drive Retention

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:53:11 GMT

Jan. 30, 2024 (Oakland, Calif.) – What experiences predict whether your employees are going to quit or stay?

New data from Great Place To Work® reveals three experiences that are highly correlated with employees wanting to stay with their company long-term. In a survey of more than 1.3 million U.S. employees, workers were:

2.7x more likely to stay when they say their work is meaningful
2.2x more likely to stay when they report being proud of where they work
1.7x more likely to stay when they say their workplace is fun

These three experiences came out on top in Great Place To Work’s proprietary Trust Index™ survey where workers were asked to agree with 60 statements about their workplace.

Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture, has released a seminal report titled “Unlocking the Secrets of Employee Retention: Transform Your Workplace with Proven Strategies and Practical Insights .” Authored by Claire Hastwell, content program manager at Great Place To Work, this extensive report offers valuable strategies and insights for companies aiming to improve employee retention.

“Although workplace culture that prioritizes meaningful work, pride in one's job, and a fun working environment may seem like a “nice-to-have,” this report shows that all three priorities bolster a culture that aids retention and ultimately, the business,” says Seth Willis, implementation consultant at Great Place To Work.

The report highlights and provides examples of the essential role leadership plays in nurturing these experiences.

What experiences predict whether your employees are going to quit or stay?

2.7x more likely to stay when they say their work is meaningful
2.2x more likely to stay when they report being proud of where they work
1.7x more likely to stay when they say their workplace is fun

These three experiences came out on top in Great Place To Work’s proprietary Trust Index™ survey where workers were asked to agree with 60 statements about their workplace.

Highlights from the report:

Understanding the cost of employee turnover: The report delves into the significant financial implications of employee turnover, emphasizing the costs involved in recruitment and training, and highlighting the economic advantages of retaining employees.

Robust methodology: This comprehensive report is based on data from an impressive 1.3 million employees at Great Place To Work Certified™ companies in the U.S. The research spans a range of industries, job roles, and demographics, offering a diverse and inclusive analysis of the workforce.

Key drivers for employee retention: The study identifies “purpose,” “pride,” and “fun” as the primary elements influencing employee retention, challenging traditional beliefs about what makes a satisfying workplace and emphasizing the importance of meaningful and enjoyable work.

Leadership behaviors that impact retention: The research identifies specific leadership behaviors that are critical in retaining talent, including effective onboarding strategies and leadership that inspires and aligns with company values.

“Leadership is not just about guiding a team towards its goals; it’s about fostering an environment where every team member feels valued, heard, and motivated,” says Michael C. Bush , CEO of Great Place To Work. “Our research highlights that effective leaders are selfless, modest, humble, and willful lifelong learners that are a critical component in retaining talent and building a workplace where employees thrive.”

Company case studies: The report highlights the successful practices of companies like Altar’d State, Atlassian, and Nugget Markets, each exemplifying effective strategies related to key retention drivers.

Generational engagement and retention: Focusing on multigenerational workforce dynamics, the report offers insights into the motivations, values, and needs of Gen Z in the workplace.

Role of work location flexibility in employee retention: The report provides a detailed examination of how flexibility in work location impacts employee commitment, comparing the relationship between employer mandates versus employee autonomy in work location decisions.

Get the report today.

About Great Place To Work

Great Place To Work is a globally recognized authority in assessing and improving workplace culture. The organization assists businesses in evaluating and enhancing their work environment through comprehensive research, certification program, and culture coaching services, offering strategies for developing trust-based, high-performance workplace cultures. Its proprietary platform and Great Place To Work Model™ help companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces™ List.

Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Our mission is to help every place become a great place to work for all. We give leaders and organizations the recognition and tools to create a consistently and overwhelmingly positive employee experience, fostering cultures that are proven to drive business, improve lives, and better society. Our recognition is the most coveted and respected in the world for elevating employer brands to attract the right people. Our proprietary methodology and platform enables organizations to truly capture, analyze, and understand the experience of all employees. Our groundbreaking research empowers organizations to build cultures that retain talent and unlock the potential of every employee. Our coaches, content, and community connect the boldest leaders, ideas, and innovations in employee experience. Since 1992, our Certification™, Best Workplaces™ Lists, and global benchmarks have become the industry standard, built on data from more than 100 million employees in 150 countries around the world.

Source: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/press-releases/employee-experiences-drive-retention

Tips to ergonomically optimise your workspace for better health and productivity

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:53:09 GMT

Sitting all day can cause all sorts of trouble for your body. On average, people who work with computers will sit at their desks for up to 10 hours a day living out of inboxes, writing proposals, making calls, and even eating lunches.

For many of us, this lifestyle is our livelihood and the aches and pains that come with the job are something we’ve learned to live with, interfering with our productivity and how we enjoy our free time.

With the right desk setup and office equipment, you can avoid these common office injuries. We’ve put together a list of tips to help you improve your office ergonomics for better posture and productivity.

Invest in good seating

You’ll notice a difference straight away with an ergonomic chair . A well-designed chair supports your back and will help improve your posture.

Good chair posture will allow you to sit for longer stints of time without feeling strain on your neck and low back.

The correct seating position should look like:

Your shoulders are pulled back
Weight is evenly distributed on your hips
Feet flat on the floor
Knees bent at a right angle
NOTE: Do not sit in the same position for more than 30 minutes

Adjust your monitor

Having a more ergonomic workspace doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. It can be as simple as making minor placement adjustments.

Your monitor should be at eye-level to avoid neck strain and at a distance from where your sitting (or standing) so that it doesn’t cause you eye strain.

Here’s an ergonomic hack: sit comfortably in your seat, and close your eyes. When you open your eyes, your eyes should rest on the address bar of a web-browser. Most screens have built-in extenders, but if they fall short, stack books to bring up the height.

Opt for a curved monitor

Do you have the budget to invest in a new computer screen? The curved monitors have gained popularity in the offices. The idea is that the screen matches the natural curvature of the human eyes. With a curved screen, your eyes and neck don’t have to work as hard navigating a large, flat screen.

Adjust your keyboard

For your keyboard setup, the most ergonomic positioning is to maintain a neutral or straight wrist position while your elbows are bent at slightly open 90 degree angle.

When you’re typing at your keyboard, you shoulders should relax down you back so that you’re not hunching over.

For greater support, you can prop your wrists on a wrists rest to match the height of your keyboard, or there are specially designed ergonomic keyboards to help those affected by carpal tunnel or arthritis.

Try a stand up desk

Stand up desks can offer relief from people experiencing lower back pain. With an adjustable desk , you get the best of both worlds.

You have the option to switch from standing to sitting and it will make more desk specific exercises more accessible.

Be mindful

It doesn’t matter if you have the most ergonomic office equipment in your office, if you’re not being intentional about how you sit, stand, and move all day, you won’t reap the benefits.

Check in and remind yourself to sit up straight in your chair, switch positions, or go for a walk if you’re beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Take frequent breaks

The best way to minimise eye-strain and other aches and pains is to go for a walk outside. If you have the luxury of taking a nice walk for your break (weather permitting) go outside.

When you’re staring at a monitor for long periods of time, your eyes can experience fatigue, blurred vision, lose the ability to focus, and can cause dizziness. By going on a walk, you can get your eyes to focus on distances further away from your screen which will help reduce symptoms of eye strain.

Source: https://www.majerrecruitment.com.au/ergonomically-optimise-space/

Progressive Discipline: Steps for Creating Discipline in the Workplace

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:53:04 GMT

When it comes to managing employee behavior and performance issues, the progressive discipline process offers obvious benefits

One of the most difficult challenges for many companies is the need to address negative behavior and performance issues in the workplace. Without a concrete plan to manage discipline, decisions may end up being arbitrary, inconsistent, and even open to legal action. That's why it is incumbent upon businesses to develop sound disciplinary policies that clearly outline how these problems are addressed. A progressive discipline process is one commonly used option.

In this post, we'll provide a progressive discipline definition and explain its many benefits. We'll also examine the steps that are commonly used in any system of progressive disciplinary action.

What is progressive discipline?

Progressive discipline is a process that involves a structured approach to correcting employee behaviors. Organizations that adopt the progressive disciplinary process implement a system of corrective actions that escalate in severity with each infraction. This allows management to provide helpful notice to employees that gives them an opportunity to correct their own behaviors or performance issues and avoid any escalation in discipline.

Since organizations should use disciplinary processes to correct undesirable behaviors rather than punish offenders, this progressive approach offers one of the best ways to achieve that goal. It ensures that management communicates problems to employees in a clear and timely manner and provides a structured way to encourage improvements in performance and behavior . For managers who may struggle to deal with problem employees, this process can also provide a guided approach to engaging in difficult conversations.

What are the benefits associated with progressive discipline?

There are many benefits for companies that implement a progressive disciplinary policy for their organizations. We've listed some of the most important benefits below.

This type of discipline process can help managers and employees to resolve concerns before bigger issues arise
The progressive disciplinary approach can facilitate improved communication between management and their workers, which can help managers to develop more productive and higher-performing teams
Implemented properly, this disciplinary approach provides employees with fair notice about expected behavior and results, and promotes accountability
By using a progressive series of increasingly severe corrective measures, employees have incentive to self-correct
Management can avoid arbitrary decisions that could lead to negative consequences, including legal concerns in some jurisdictions
Employee retention and job satisfaction tend to be higher in environments that provide clear expectations and a fair, just, and consistent disciplinary process
Because steps in the process are typically well-documented, employers will have an easier time defending difficult decisions about suspensions and terminations

What are the typical steps of the progressive disciplinary process?

To understand how a progressive disciplinary process works in a real-world company setting, let's examine a typical step-by-step progressive approach. Some of the most common disciplinary policies use a four-step framework that involves increasingly serious consequences for the employee.

1. Verbal warning

This is almost always the first disciplinary action in any progressive discipline system. As soon as an issue comes to management's attention, someone is tasked with warning the employee about the problem. This warning can be delivered in either an informal or formal meeting, during which the employee is told about the behavioral or performance problem. In many cases, management also provides the employee with recommended steps that they can take to correct the issue so that further action can be avoided.

Even though the warning is delivered verbally, company policies should require that the person issuing the warning document important details. These details include vital information like when the warning was given and the behavior or other issues that prompted the action. The documentation should also list everyone involved in the meeting, the actions the employee agreed to take to correct the problems, and whether any follow-up conversations are scheduled.

2. Written warning

When verbal warnings don't lead to the necessary positive change, management then typically follows up with the next progressive disciplinary step – the written warning. This is a more formal action designed to signal to the employee that the issue has become a more serious concern. Some companies include the possibility for multiple written warnings within this stage of the progressive discipline process.

The written warning should describe the employee's failures, the policies that have been violated, and specific steps that they must take if they want to get back in the company's good graces. It should also provide fair warning about the consequences the employee will experience if those corrective actions are not followed. Employers should allow employees to discuss the document and should inform them that signing it is simply an acknowledgment that they received the warning.

Again, everything about this meeting should be documented, and the documentation and written warning should be placed in the employee's employment file. That documentation should include details about the participants in the meeting – all of whom should have signed the warning - as well as the agreed-upon action plan to correct the behavior and other important information that provides an accurate historical record of the meeting.

3. Final warning, including possible suspension period

Once the written warning step has been exhausted (again, some companies may provide as many as three written warnings before escalating the process), the next stage of the progressive discipline process is considered the final warning. This is another document-based corrective action that basically puts the employee on notice that any continued failure to correct the problem will result in termination. Sometimes, this final warning can also be accompanied by a period of suspension without compensation.

Like the other warnings, this one should be well-documented with details about the policies that have been violated and what the employee was told to do to correct the situation. The documentation should also note that this is the final warning. It must be signed by everyone present at the meeting and stored in the employee's employment file.

4. Termination

As you might expect, the most drastic and final step of the progressive discipline process involves the termination of the employee. While the entire process is designed to correct behavior and avoid this step, there are times when there is no other option but to fire an employee who fails to correct behavior or performance issues. This step also requires detailed documentation and careful attention to the details.

Larger companies will typically want to handle termination through human resources, and sometimes in consultation with employment lawyers if potential legal issues could arise. Witnesses should always be present whenever possible and the employee should be given a detailed review of the entire process, beginning with the verbal warning. The termination notice itself should be provided in written form, with a copy placed in the employment file.

The appeal

In addition to that four-step approach to corrective action, effective progressive discipline often includes an opportunity to appeal decisions made in each step of the process. This provides the employee with an opportunity to offer evidence or arguments in opposition to the discipline. Sometimes, employee behaviors involve disabilities or other issues that may require some sort of accommodation. The appeals process can help to promote fairer outcomes based on the best available information.

Designing your progressive discipline policy

If you're tasked with implementing a progressive disciplinary process in your workplace, it's vital to ensure that you have a well-constructed policy that outlines every key detail. Make sure that yours includes each of the following elements.

Details about each step of the progressive disciplinary process

This section of your policy should outline each progressive step your company takes to address employee misconduct and performance concerns. You may want to include a brief explanation of each, so that employees know what to expect if they fail to meet expectations.

Exceptions that may result in immediate termination

Some violations of policy are so serious that they qualify for immediate termination of employment. You should cite specific examples of these actions. For example, criminal activities, physical abuse of co-workers, theft, and similar actions may fall outside of the normal progressive discipline scheme.

Any necessary disclaimers

Each policy should also include disclaimers that preserve the employer's right to enforce the policy, disregard certain elements when necessary, or make needed changes. Legal issues like at-will employment should also be addressed in this section.

Adhering to your company's progressive discipline policy

Once you have a policy in place, it's important to make sure that it's followed as rigorously as possible. Employees tend to adapt to the prevailing company culture, and any failure of consistency or fair application of policy will impact their adherence to company rules, productivity goals, and other performance and behavioral metrics.

Progressive discipline: a powerful tool to impact employee behavior

Without clear disciplinary policies in place, any company will struggle to achieve a fair and balanced application of rules and expectations. Fortunately, the progressive discipline approach offers a clear and understandable approach to managing and correcting negative behaviors and performance issues. By creating and implementing your own progressive disciplinary processes, you can develop a powerful workplace culture that helps employees to overcome their shortcomings and meet your expectations.

Source: https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/progressive-discipline-steps-for-creating-discipline-in-the-workplace?irclickid=Tta1D5WLxxyPWrzyw8x3kVkfUkHyvu1BqScsTE0&utm_source=impact_affiliates_19020&irgwc=1&pt=yZcA5YTzqIRnQ

Stress management at the workplace

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:52:48 GMT

It’s not a surprise that the workplace is a common trigger for stress. You’re faced with tight deadlines, juggling various tasks and projects, and navigating different personalities types.

Here we unpack what stress is, how it affects your health, and ways you can manage your stress at the workplace.

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s response to danger in our environment. It’s an actual physiological reaction that activates our fight-or-flight response.

We have the fight-or-flight response to thank for the survival of the human species, but when we’re not confronting life-threatening danger, this stress response ends up causing more harm to us than good, especially if we’re constantly exposed to stressors.

Your body responds to the stressor by increasing oxygen supply to the lungs, pumping more blood to the muscles, and dumping glucose into the bloodstream. This is process is designed to help you fight off the danger or run away from it.

In activating the stress response, your body shuts down other systems that aren’t necessary to your eminent survival such as the digestive system and the immune system.

People who suffer from chronic stress often experience digestive problems and are prone to colds and flus. When one is succumb to stress for too long, they can burnout. Burnout is the state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.

What does it mean to “manage” stress?

The opposite state of the fight-or-flight response is rest-and-digest. In this state, your body is conserving energy, increasing intestinal and gland activity, and relaxing muscles.

This whole process is designed to maintain long-term health. When we’re constantly triggered by stressors, we don’t enter the rest-and-digest state long enough to establish an equilibrium in our bodies.

Managing stress refers to learning to cope with how we react to uncontrollable situations, so that our stress doesn’t get the better of our lives.

How to manage stress at the workplace

A lot of the time, what stresses us out is our inability to control the situation. Instead of trying to control the situation, we can focus on what we can change and establish healthy habits to better cope with stressors.

ORGANISING WORKFLOW

Organising your workflow can be as simple as tiding your workstation. I always think that a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind.

Remove all unnecessary things from your desk that aren’t relative to the task at hand. This can help clear away any distractions.

Is there a simpler system in place to help you finish the project? Ask for advice when you need it especially when it comes to organising your workflow.

There might already be other systems in place you aren’t using that can eliminate a few tedious steps from your assignment.

TAKE BREAKS

You’re not doing anyone any good by stressing out. Attitude is infectious, especially in a small office. If you’re stressing out, the effect can spread like wildfire.

When you’re hitting a wall of your productivity, take a step back. In fact, it’s best if you take those steps outside.

Take a break to remove yourself from the work and refresh your thoughts. Sometimes, the best solutions to the problem you’re trying to solve happen on walks.

DRINK GREEN TEA

Instead of reaching for that cup of coffee, opt for green tea instead. Green tea is a great source of L-theanine, an amino acid that does more than add flavour to the beverage.

L-theanine is a natural mood-elevator and can help you increase your focus. Green tea might be the best office fuel to get you through a stressful period.

EXERCISE

Stress bleeds into every aspect of your life affecting your relationships, creativity, work, and overall health. One of the best things you can do for yourself when you’re feeling stressed out, is exercising.

Exercising releases endorphins most commonly known to produce a state of euphoria, which alleviates stress and can help you get a better night’s sleep.

BOX-BREATHING

Breathing meditations have been around for over 5000 years. Box breathing is a form of breath meditation.

The technique involves taking slow, deep breaths in and out of your your nose for counts of 4, with a pause for 4 counts at both the top of the inhale and bottom of the exhale.

This relaxation technique is simple yet powerful. The aim is to focus your mind to clear out any distractions, and reset your breath. After a few rounds of box-breathing, you should feel calm and have a refreshed focus at the task at hand.

With the right stress management techniques, you can learn to effectively reduce stress at the workplace, boost your mood, and productivity.

If you’re ever feeling that work has become too overwhelming or has become a negative space, please take the time you need and reach out to someone who can help. Here’s a great article on A Realistic Plan for Telling Your Boss That You’re Burnt Out and Need Personal Time .

Source: https://www.majerrecruitment.com.au/stress-management-at-the-workplace/

Are you really having a bad day? Or did you catch it from your colleague?

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 23:55:58 GMT

Negative emotional contagion is making our work days that much harder.

You’ve probably heard that emotions can be contagious. If a colleague starts panicking about COVID-19, for instance, you’re more likely to feel panicked yourself.

But it’s not just negative emotions that can be passed on. If you hear someone erupt into a giant guffaw, you’re more likely to feel happy and laugh too. That’s why sitcoms have canned laughter tracks.

This phenomenon is known as ’emotional contagion’. While it might be a helpful tool for giving people a dose of positivity, it can also have serious negative effects in the workplace.

The single influencer

It’s important to distinguish up front that emotional contagion is different from behavioural contagion (subconsciously imitating the behaviour of others) and attitudinal/cognitive contagion (having your values/attitudes influenced by those around you). That being said, the three often overlap. For example, if someone is acting negatively towards a client, their colleague or subordinate might experience a negative emotion, while also changing their perception of that client and changing their behaviour towards them as a result.

However, only that initial feeling of negativity is emotional contagion. And if you think you don’t experience it, know that it’s something that’s so common it’s a part of our language.

Think, for example, of the phrase “the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife”, what is that describing if not the physical sensation of other people’s emotional conflict?

In an episode of The Happiness Lab, a podcast on the science behind what makes humans happy, Sigal Barsade, a professor at the Wharton School of Business and emotional contagion expert, describes her experience of working with a woman whose emotions had a profound effect on the workplace.

“I didn’t report to her, I didn’t even work with her a lot, but she was a very negative person. And one day she left for vacation and I noticed there was a palpable difference in this open plan office. Peoples’ shoulders seemed to lower; they were more relaxed and happy.

“Then when she came back from vacation, everything went back to how it was. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this person is having a tremendous effect on our mood even when we don’t have to engage with her on workplace issues.'”

Once an individual’s bad mood rubs off on someone else, others are likely to continue passing that negative mood on to people throughout the day. Barsade calls this the “affective spiral”.

“Most often it’s coming as a very automatic process as a result of behavioural mimicry, that is mimicking people’s facial expressions and body language. Then, through a variety of physiological processes, we’re actually feeling those emotions.”

This mimicry may be more crucial than we tend to think. Barsade, in her own research paper, references an interesting study from 2010 in which it was found that people who’ve received Botox injections can sometimes have a harder time identifying other peoples’ facial expressions due to an inability to move their own faces. That’s just one finding that looks into how powerful behavioural and emotional mirroring can be. There’s plenty more out there.

You’ve likely experienced a variation of emotional contagion at some stage in the last 48 hours – maybe your partner came home in a funk or your colleague’s non-stop complaining caused your mood to fall. But when you consider some of the organisation-wide impacts this phenomenon can have, you might be more inclined to pay attention to it and call it out.

The impacts

Helping to facilitate a positive workplace culture has always been a top priority for HR managers and workplace leaders, but it’s even more important right now. The pandemic has meant more employees than usual are feeling stressed, panicked, anxious, sad and burnt out. So knowing how to limit the spread of negative emotions can benefit the wellbeing of whole workforces.

In another study by Barsade, she asked two groups of employees to complete a series of tasks which involved decision-making around money. In one group there was someone who was acting in a negative way and in the other a person who was purposefully happy and bubbly.

The group in the presence of a person who was in a good mood were more cooperative and less likely to have in-group conflict than the other group.

Barsade points to separate research from 2012 in which participants reported the decisions they made over a three week period. They found that when anxiety is transferred amongst a team, they are more likely to perceive more negative consequences coming from the decisions they make.

She also found that perceived individual-level performance, both from the individual themselves and outside observers, was improved when positive emotional contagion is present.

Other research referred to in Barsade’s paper also found that in negotiation situations those who shifted from a happy affect to a more angry one had a greater chance of achieving their objectives than those who were angry from the get go.

“Emotional contagion fully mediated this effect; happiness caught early in a negotiation with a partner was enough to serve as a buffer against the anger they experienced later,” writes Barsade.

“As such, this study provided additional evidence that early emotional contagion has a significant influence on subsequent reasoning and decision outcomes.”

Several other studies have also suggested that those working in service-based roles, such as healthcare, are also more likely to experience emotional exhaustion, burn out, reduced communicational responsiveness and reduced occupational commitment when negative emotions are spread throughout an organisation. (For more on this, read HRM’s article on how workplace civility can remedy burnout).

The answer lies with leadership

So how can you safeguard your organisation against the spread of negative emotions? As is the case with most workplace culture issues, it’s best to start from the top.

Overall, a group’s effort is decreased when leaders transmit negative emotions, Barsade found.

“When I hear about a team that has really low morale, one of the first questions I ask is, ‘How is the leader coming in every morning?'” Barsade says in the Happiness Lab podcast.

“Are they coming in excited, enthusiastic, energetic and talking to people? Or are they coming in looking like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders and are really stressed? People are always paying attention to leaders, so they literally catch the leader’s mood.”

When thinking about situations where employees might be panicked or anxious, she says leaders need to model the behaviours that will be most productive in that situation, so that might be positivity and a general sense of calmness.

“If you’re sophisticated about understanding that, you have a way of getting your team onboard and where they need to be.”

And if organisations want to create transformational leaders, as HRM recently looked into, then mastering the art of positive emotional contagion could be critical.

“Early emotional contagion has a significant influence on subsequent reasoning and decision outcomes.”

It starts with you

A simple way to avoid being the first chain in the negative mood link is to be aware of your own emotions and how you’re conveying them. Barsade uses the example of a candidate in a job interview.

“If they look nervous, the worst thing you can say to them is ‘calm down’,” she says.

What good interviewers will do instead is make sure their own tone is upbeat, that they’re pace is slow and that their body language is encouraging.

Barsade says leaders need to take this considered approach with all of their communication, because not only does this help employees to work more effectively, there are links between leaders’ positive moods and their subordinates’ perception of the leader’s charisma.

“Overall, there is a substantial, growing amount of evidence that emotional contagion between leaders and their followers is a pivotal process that impacts not only followers’ emotions, but also perceptions of leaders’ effectiveness, work-related attitudes and behaviors, and both individual and group performance,” writes Barsade.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons for us to feel negative emotions right now, but if we don’t break the cycle, we’re just going to keep handballing our negativity to one another.

As Barsade says in a recent article for the Harvard Business Review, “Stemming negative emotional contagion — and making positive emotions more infectious — will make us feel more prepared and in control during this frightening period.”

The good news? Simply knowing about this phenomenon is the first step in overcoming it.

Think of it this way, if you’re a little more conscious of your tone of voice when speaking with someone on the bus, you might end up helping their colleague have a better day.

Source: https://www.hrmonline.com.au/behaviour/emotional-contagion-workplace/

5 tips to reverse the symptoms of burnout

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 23:55:55 GMT

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As year-end deadlines and celebrations flood the schedule, organisations may find their workforce facing exhaustion and, in severe cases, burnout. Use these tips to guide employees towards reclaiming their wellbeing amid the holiday hustle.

During what’s supposed to be a relaxing holiday season, many employees are busier than ever – juggling copious social events while also racing to reach those last-minute work deadlines.

Many employees have been working at an extreme pace for the entire year, and the cumulative impact of this on wellbeing might crop up as they finally start winding down and the adrenaline wears off.

While a break may be in sight, many employees will have already reached a point of burnout, and recovering from this can be a prolonged process that often demands a consistent and targeted effort from employers that stretches well beyond the holiday period.

So what measures should employers take to ensure that when employees return in 2024, they step into an environment conducive to both productivity and sustained wellbeing?

HRM spoke with Audrey McGibbon, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Executive Coach and wellbeing expert, about how HR professionals can help managers develop a practical guide towards recovery.

Recognising burnout in employees

The first thing managers and HR professionals need to do is be able to clearly and swiftly identify when employees may be on the brink of, or already experiencing, burnout.

While there are definitive signs and symptoms to look out for, the lines between burnout and general exhaustion are often blurred, making it difficult to initiate steps towards reversing the impacts.

“Someone experiencing burnout will almost always have a low mood, but you wouldn’t automatically say that someone with a low mood is burnt out,” says McGibbon.

Many of the other symptoms associated with burnout, such as fatigue and a lack of motivation, can also be linked to other mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. It’s crucial for HR leaders to learn how to identify the differences in order to kick-start the recovery process for employees.

“A really burnt out person probably couldn’t even bother telling you that they’re burnt out.” – Audrey McGibbon, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Executive Coach and wellbeing expert.

A good indicator of burnout is any change in an employee’s usual behaviour, she says. For example, a team member who is usually detail-oriented may begin to make constant mistakes in their work, or you might notice that a usually sociable employee isn’t coming to as many events anymore.

McGibbon points out that for an employee in the late stages of burnout, they might have trouble even getting themselves to work.

In a collaborative office environment, a ripple effect can take hold, where one employee complaining of exhaustion causes other employees to respond with similar feelings. This can manifest in a collective experience of fatigue among teams.

Read HRM’s article about ’emotional contagion’ and how you can manage it.

While communication around mental health has become a natural and widely accepted part of the workplace, this doesn’t necessarily mean that employees experiencing burnout are likely to take the first steps in talking about it.

Burnout remains a uniquely isolating experience, with employees often lacking the energy to do anything about it or not feeling psychologically safe enough to disclose their experience to their manager.

Protective factors to nip burnout in the bud

McGibbon stresses that, while there are ways to reverse the symptoms of burnout (see below), it’s far easier to prioritise preventative measures.

“Organisations have a lot of control over certain factors that we know are protective and stop people becoming burnt out.”

For example, she suggests three strategies that employers can implement to protect employees’ wellbeing:

1. Encourage flow

Leaders should focus on creating positive work flows for employees.

“Stress is frequently thought of as [the result] of the volume of work that we need to do, but there’s a lot of research to say that, if you create a culture where people engage in ‘smart work’, they are less likely to become burnt out because the work is interesting and stimulating.”

When an employee enters a state of ‘flow’, they may be working hard, but it’s not experienced as ‘hard work’. In fact, team members often find this type of work yields the opposite effect – engaging work flows can boost productivity and motivation, acting as a safeguard against burnout.

Read HRM’s article about helping employees to discover ‘red thread’ tasks that energise them

2. Allow for autonomy

McGibbon underscores the role of autonomy in the workplace in warding off burnout.

“[Autonomy] is linked to flexible work practices and is about creating the belief that your work is making a difference.”

On the flip side, a substantial trigger of burnout can be micromanagement, which chips away at employee autonomy and can foster feelings of distrust and inadequacy.

Implementing flexible working models can help to increase autonomy, alongside open and honest conversations with leaders about expectations, she says.

3. Fostering quality social relationships

Another protective factor is the quality of social relationships in the workplace, says McGibbon..

“[The quality of social relationships] is absolutely down to the quality of recruitment processes and the quality of leadership, management and psychological safety,” she says.

By building a safe and inclusive workplace, employers will be better equipped to reduce the likelihood of burnout among employees, allowing them to feel valued and listened to.

Image of a woman with her eyes closed and her hand to her head. She looks stressed.

Photo by Marcus Aurelius via Pexels.

5 tips to reverse the impacts of burnout

While there is an abundance of information on burnout prevention, little is shared about what to do after burnout – or how to reverse the impacts once they’ve already taken their toll.

Below are five steps HR leaders can take to guide employees in the recovery process.

1. Encourage time away from work

The primary need for employees experiencing burnout will likely be to take time away from work.

“It could be as little as two or three weeks, but it is more likely to take longer for a full recovery.”

Alongside this, it is important that employers allow their team members the space they need to regain their sense of wellbeing.

However, if communication is completely severed, there’s a risk that the employee may perceive the silence as a lack of care

“You need to have some way of respectfully conveying to employees that they are in your thoughts and you’re available for discussion or support when they feel ready.”

2. Encourage constructive rest

Employees not only need time away from work, but intentional time away that is restorative and focuses on switching off completely.

This is imperative for physical recovery, allowing them to overcome adrenal fatigue and begin the process of calming the nervous system, says McGibbon.

Rest will look different to each employee based on their needs, but it’s a good idea to remind them that rest comes in many forms. This infographic shares the seven different types of rest that people need at some point in their recovery period.

“[Recovery] will probably necessitate medical check-ups – not always with a psychologist, but almost always a visit with a GP.”

It’s important to be aware that the physical symptoms of burnout require attention before broader triggers can be addressed, she adds.

3. Ensure a holistic approach to burnout

As an employer, it’s essential that you look at the triggers of burnout from all angles. For example, in work cultures that champion constant productivity, growth and development, there can be ongoing pressure to achieve these milestones.

While the World Health Organisation has stated that burnout is an ‘occupational phenomenon’, external factors can also contribute to the progression of burnout, such as social commitments and financial stresses.

So how should managers respond when burnout is, in part, the outcome of external influences?

McGibbon says the rapid revolution of the way in which we work, particularly our unlimited access to technology and remote work, means that contemporary society doesn’t have the boundaries that were once in place, such as seeing your colleagues log off and leave work for the day.

This increased attachment to work means that switching off completely has become nearly impossible.

As a result, it’s imperative that HR take a holistic approach to address all triggers of burnout.

4. Be realistic and remove unnecessary pressures

When it comes to encouraging teams to embrace rest during the holiday break, McGibbon suggests employers communicate an important message: resist the pressure to have the ‘perfect holiday period’.

It’s important to be realistic about employees’ varied personal situations, she says, emphasising that it’s possible to find pockets of rest amid necessary commitments.

“There is an extra level of intensity, particularly for dual-career households with children. What I recommend is that people take stock and think about their own personal circumstances and what their needs are. Set an objective.”

McGibbon shares her own personal objective for this holiday period, which is to simply be bored. Day-to-day commitments mean that she is too busy to find the time to have nothing to do.

“Go through your summer with some means of negotiating pleasure,” she says.

5. Encourage reflection

A final step that employers can take not only to reverse the impacts of burnout, but to sustain long-term wellbeing in the workplace, is to invite employees to reflect on the triggers and impacts of their experiences at work, such as unrealistic KPIs or an excessive workload.

If the triggers have not been addressed, “You come back feeling like it’s groundhog day because you go back to the same deadlines, or the same clients or the same excessive workload, and nothing changes,” says McGibbon.

It is crucial that reflection is something that is taken on by both employers and employees. For employees, this may look like personal questions such as, ‘What would need to happen for my work to feel more meaningful?’ – and, for employers, a rigorous look into the internal changes that need to be made to encourage people to switch off from work on time, for example.

Ultimately, employers need to make a combined effort in both prevention and recovery to reconstruct a low-risk workplace adept at addressing burnout.

Employers can allow their teams all the time away from work they need, but, unless any changes have been made to address the initial triggers of burnout in the workplace, the cycle of burnout will likely persist.

“The thing that will make the difference is whether anything in the workplace environment that was part of the original cause has changed,” says McGibbon. “If nothing has changed, you’re going to get the same result.”

Source: https://www.hrmonline.com.au/topics/health-wellbeing-and-safety/5-tips-to-reverse-the-symptoms-of-burnout/

How to Create Employee Development Plans That Actually Work

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 23:55:50 GMT

Employee development plans form an invisible backbone for every business or organisation. But what does it take to develop a plan that actually works? We explain.

Without fostering a culture of trust, responsibility, and respect, any company can suffer serious consequences. Throughout this piece, we’ll explore the impact that a poor approach to employee development can have on a business, and how to create employee development plans that promote long-term growth and cooperation.

What is an employee development plan and why does it matter?

An employee development plan is a written plan of action formulated by a line manager that outlines the goals, desires, expectations, and development opportunities of a member of staff.

The document is not just a tool for businesses to ensure that employees are meeting the high standards expected of them but is also designed to empower employees to develop their skills, comfortably assume more responsibilities, and ultimately advance their careers.

Knowing the importance of the development of employees and the future roles and responsibilities they wish to take on is just the first hurdle, however. Creating a plan that works for your team and benefits the long-term growth of your business is a skill in itself, and it starts by understanding the role that this document plays in your day-to-day operations.

Your plan will only work if you create it with mutual agreement and understanding that you intend for it to benefit both parties. For an employee, it means career advancement and ultimately a better quality of life. For a company, it means avoiding unnecessary expenditure, and expanding business operations.

Do more than prepare employees for advancement

Every business should consider the wellbeing and growth potential of its employees, but it must always be done with the company’s future success in mind. Preparing an employee for career advancement can easily backfire if they are not given incentives to stay, meaning your business will not only lose a member of the team but will be hit by the cost of replacing them.

One CAP study found that the cost of replacing an employee in a mid-range position is 20% of their annual salary, and this figure increases the more senior a role that employee filled. Another study from the Work Institute, which examined over 34,000 exit interviews in 2016, found that 22% of employees who left their position did so for career advancement opportunities.

A company that fails to offer these opportunities, or that prepares employees for growth without giving them a chance to move up the ladder should prepare to lose those employees and face substantial costs of replacing them.

Ultimately, this is about your bottom line. It costs time and money to replace staff. Not only can your business benefit from avoiding these costs in the first place, but ensuring employees have the chance to move up the ladder within your organisation allows you to benefit from an ever-improving team that helps you expand your horizons.

Do more than just prepare your employees; make sure there’s room for them to grow.

New approaches to employee engagement mean better business

The evidence shows that companies and organisations that care about their employees perform better, and when an employee works harder, their employer benefits too. A survey of more than 81,000 people by Capital found that Americans care most about how a company treats their workforce.

Customers are more conscious than ever before about ethical matters, and a business that doesn’t treat its employees well will not only suffer in terms of their own morale and performance but will face the wrath of an educated consumer.

With this in mind, international brands are taking new approaches to employee benefits and rights all the time, offering more control over their work schedules, and opportunities to grow in honest ways. Netflix has long been at the forefront of this, paying its employees a salary and ditching bonuses entirely, and allowing their workers to choose their own hours.

This demonstrated the trust the company placed in its employees; a key component in employee development. It also offered workers the chance to demonstrate their value without resorting to lying or cheating to obtain bigger bonuses.

And it works.

A 124-slide PowerPoint presentation from the company about its unique approach to employment now has millions of views since it was published in 2009, and since then the company has grown to become one of the biggest media brands in the world.

Evaluate your company’s needs

Motivated? Now it’s time to start evaluating your company’s needs and incorporating your conclusion into a development plan that will yield real results.

Remember what we’ve discussed already; that your company needs to benefit as well as your employees, that your development plans must include opportunities for growth within your own company, that your bottom line should always be in mind, and placing trust in your employees is an absolute necessity.

Consider the following questions:

Does your company currently have any skill gaps?
Is your company capable of attracting new talent?
Is your team meeting targets, or do you require improvement?
Are you keeping up with market trends?
Are your employees happy, and have you offered employees the chance to give you feedback?
Is your company currently in a position to offer promotion opportunities?
Do you offer promotion opportunities, or are outside hires commonplace?

Create your plan with the answers to these questions in mind. We will explore why these questions are important throughout the rest of this piece.

Plan to achieve milestones

Taking those questions into consideration, every good plan should also include clearly-defined career and development goals agreed by both parties. Allow employees to speak freely about their goals, and line managers must take note without forcing employees to agree to terms that they do not feel comfortable with.

Agree clearly-defined career and development goals, and then create an action plan that includes several milestones and dates by which they will be achieved. This action plan gives employees and managers a timescale to see progress made.

Milestones should include getting to grips with new skills, honing those skills, and becoming proficient in those new skills. They may also include obtaining certifications, undergoing internal training, or even moving up the career ladder and interviewing for a more senior position within the company.

Filling skill gaps and attracting new talent

In order to create a plan that benefits all parties involved, managers must know the company vision and have a set of objectives that are being collectively worked towards. Equip line managers with critical information, like skills gaps that need to be filled in the medium to long-term, and draw up plans with those gaps in mind.

That’s why it is just as essential to consider your company’s ability to attract new talent, as it is to allow current employees to advance their career.

Find goals that your employees are interested in working towards and you are on a fantastic footing to create a plan that will yield results.

Enable and engage employees, always

Your employee development plan is only ever as good as your employee’s commitment to their role in your organisation. Your employee’s commitment, in turn, is only ever as good as your company’s approach to employee engagement. As outlined in a piece by Text Magic , there are several ways to ensure employees feel engaged and appreciated, even as remote workers.

Remember that much of the work of a development plan is done before it is even written, as your team members will already have an idea about how they feel working for you, and whether they envision themselves working with you for the foreseeable future.

While trusting your employees to either work remotely or to manage their own schedules, it is essential that you, as a line manager or employer, take steps to ensure that your staff feel a strong personal and professional connection to the work that they do.

That includes:

Clarifying expectations;
Using technology to connect employees;
Keeping track with one-on-one meetings;
Inspiring a culture of remote work;
Utilising team-building activities.

An employee that doesn’t feel like part of a team is unlikely to remain an employee for much longer, meaning any plans you make may ultimately mean very little. Engage your team and your development plans will prove more fruitful.

Regularly revisit plans and adapt to change

Always incorporate self-adjustment, reflection, and ever-changing market circumstances into your plan. Regularly revisiting a plan with an employee allows line managers not just to track progress, but to see if milestones need to be amended because of outside factors.

Blindly sticking to a plan without considering variables, which appear all the time, is a surefire way to miss deadlines or to disenfranchise employees. Expecting too much when circumstances change can breed resentment or anger and expecting too much of employees never helps.

Always be willing to adapt to change and to respond to variables. That way, your plan always stays viable for all involved.

Ensure all plans are central to the role

It’s not uncommon for employees to see their plan as a side-project to work on outside of their regular work responsibilities. Key to the success of this plan is ensuring that team members understand the that it is in fact central to the role they play within your organisation, and that every day should include steps taken to meet the milestones outlined within that plan.

As we have explored already, every plan should contain achievable and realistic milestones that employees can reach without negatively impacting their efficiency and ability to perform their role properly. By ensuring that your team can realistically achieve their goals, it is less likely that employees will treat the plan as a burden that should only addressed during time off.

Incorporate the plan into daily work schedules!

In Summary

An employee development plan only works when it is well-thought-out, considered, and thorough. Abide by the following eight points and you’ll be on your way to creating plans that deliver real results in the medium-to-long-term.

Ensure goals are desirable for both parties;
Create reasonable and achievable milestones without expecting too much, or too little;
Identify skills gaps and incorporate these into every plan, to avoid excessive future outside hires;
Don’t just prepare employees for career advancement, but ensure your company has room for them to move up the ladder before setting milestones;
Foster a culture of trust and give your employees room to grow;
Engage with your employees, arrange team-building activities, and make them feel respected and appreciated;
Regularly revisit milestones and adapt to change when necessary;
Make employee development plans central to daily work schedules.

Source: https://inside.6q.io/create-employee-development-plans/

Job Search 2024: Key Trends and What to Expect

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 23:55:48 GMT

Even though it seems like the world is always changing, when it comes to job searching, some things will always hold true. It's all about showing your best self, reaching out to the right people, and finding a job that not only pays the bills but also gives you a sense of fulfillment and purpose.

But let’s be real for a sec. Job searching can be overwhelming, exhausting, and downright frustrating at times. Every year comes with its own set of challenges. It’s a roller coaster of highs and lows, but remember, you’re not alone on this ride.

Millions are right there with you, scrolling through job listings, tweaking their resumes, and prepping for interviews. Take a deep breath, and let’s tackle these new challenges and what is coming head-on.

Nothing Will Change, But Everything Will

I know, I know. That headline might have you scratching your head, but hear me out. At its core, job searching in 2024 is not all that different from years past. It’s about showcasing your skills, connecting with potential employers, and finding a company culture that feels like home (but not as family).

But here’s the kicker: the way we go about all that? It’s evolving fast. Technology, especially AI (ChatGPT), will play a bigger role than ever before. And while that might sound intimidating, it’s actually pretty awesome. AI can help streamline the job search process, match you with positions that align with your skills, and even give you a leg up in preparing for interviews, like this ChatGPT Interview Coach .

But it doesn’t replace the human element! Companies are still run by people, and they’re looking to hire people - real, live, human beings with passions, aspirations, and the ability to think outside the algorithm.

While AI is a powerful tool in your job search arsenal, never underestimate the power of genuine connections, a well-crafted reach-out message, and the ability to sell yourself in an interview.

Job Search 2024: Key Trends and What to Expect

Trying to predict the future or guess the trends is tricky. No one can ever be 100% certain. But let's hop on the prediction train as we head towards 2024.

Now, remember, these are just my predictions based on my experience and what I've seen in the market. Of course, things can change, and the predictions below might not apply to every industry or location. Even though I'm pretty confident in my predictions, only time will tell.

1. Shift to an Employer-Driven Market from a Candidate-Driven Market

In recent years, we’ve seen a candidate-driven market where job seekers held significant power due to a talent shortage in various industries. However, as we enter 2024, the landscape shifts toward a balanced employer-employee-driven market.

This means that while candidates still have considerable influence, employers also take a more active role in shaping the job market.

For job seekers, this transition signifies a need for adaptability and a proactive approach. It’s more crucial than ever to showcase not only your skills and experiences but also your cultural fit and potential contribution to the company’s growth.

Building strong relationships through networking, showcasing a track record of continuous learning, and demonstrating how you align with the company’s values and mission become key elements of a successful job search.

2. Fear of Recession

Traditionally, January and February are strong months for hiring, but I don't think we'll see quite the same level of energy as we've seen before. The global economic situation, the state of China and other major economies, and all these ongoing conflicts are definitely having an impact.

That is why economic uncertainties, including fears of a recession, may impact recruitment strategies during the whole year. Companies might become more cautious with their hiring plans, focusing on critical roles while putting other hiring on hold. Recruiters may need to navigate these economic uncertainties by developing flexible recruitment strategies that allow for rapid scaling up or down as circumstances change.

Overall, I expect 2024 to be a better year for hiring than the previous year unless we encounter another global pandemic or major global crisis.

If I had to pick a main theme for 2024, it would definitely be "Job Stability is a Top Priority". That's what most job seekers will be going for in the first half of the year.

3. Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

AI isn't just a tool for job seekers to improve their cover letters and write outreach messages; recruiters are also heavily relying on it. In 2024, expect to see more AI-driven processes in recruitment, from basic resume screening to initial communication stages.

Chatbots might be the first entity you interact with when applying for a job, and AI algorithms could play a significant role in shortlisting candidates.

For job seekers, it's important to make sure your resume is AI-friendly. And by that, I don't mean the kind of scam deals you might see soon from some coaches who promise you a fancy new AI-friendly resume template that will beat AI.

What I mean is, use clear and straightforward language, and include relevant keywords that match the job description. Using colorful and extravagant Canva resume templates might not be the appropriate approach.

Additionally, be prepared for AI-driven interviews, where algorithms may analyze your responses before a human recruiter reviews them.

4. Rise of Automated Job Applications

You might be discouraged by the crazy high numbers of job applications you saw on LinkedIn ads when you applied, which I explained in the previous article . But brace yourself, because you're going to see even higher numbers in 2024!

You know who's to blame? Automated job applications! They're the real culprits behind all this!

Imagine shooting your resume to a hundred companies with just a single click. Sounds efficient, right? Well, welcome to the age of automated job applications!

With rise of technology, it's become super easy for job seekers to apply to multiple positions at once. From auto-filling application fields to sending out hundreds of job applications within minutes—tasks that would normally take hours or even days can now be done in under sixty minutes.

However, there's a flip side. As the barrier to applying lowers, companies are now flooded with applications for every open position. This deluge can make it challenging for your application to stand out, turning the job-hunting game into a numbers race.

But don't worry! At the end of the article, I've got some tips on how you can stand out in this competition.

5. Remote Work Evolves into Hybrid Models

Remote work is here to stay, BUT here's the thing: while remote work offers many advantages, it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

That is why many companies are moving towards hybrid models, combining the best of both worlds. This means splitting time between working remotely and in-office, providing flexibility while maintaining a sense of community and collaboration. Of course, this setup won't work for those who are fully remote or love the flexibility that remote work offers.

In 2024, companies will prioritize productivity and teamwork even more than before, and it seems that having team members scattered across different locations is not yielding the expected results and innovation.

As a result, we can expect more companies to transition from remote roles to a hybrid model, where working in the office for 2-3 days becomes the new norm for a while, maybe the next year or two. I think three days has become the norm in many industries.

Source: The Future of the Office Has Arrived: It's Hybrid

6. The Rise of Job Search Personalization

Just as personalization has become a staple in marketing and e-commerce, it's now making its way into the job search process. In 2024, job seekers can expect more personalized job recommendations and career advice based on their online activity, preferences, and previous applications.

To make the most of this trend, ensure that you’re clear about your job preferences, skills, and career goals. Engage with job search platforms, set up detailed profiles, and utilize AI-driven tools that can help match you with the right opportunities.

That's why your LinkedIn profile will play a crucial role in your job search in 2024. Having a resume is good, but LinkedIn and companies that scrape LinkedIn data will use your information to match you with job opportunities. If you haven't properly filled out and customized your LinkedIn profile, you'll miss out on job opportunities because recruiters won't be able to find your profile.

7. Upskilling and Continuous Learning

Gone are the days when a college degree was enough to last you an entire career. The rapid pace of technological advancement means that the skills needed in today’s job market are constantly evolving. Employers are on the lookout for candidates who demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt.

So, what’s the game plan? Continuous learning. Engage in online courses, attend workshops, and seek out opportunities to acquire new skills. Whether it’s learning a new programming language, getting a certification in project management, or taking a course in digital marketing, showing that you’re committed to your personal and professional growth goes a long way.

Make you show off your new skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Employers are keeping an eye out for these keywords, and it could really help you stand out. Plus, LinkedIn's AI will use the info on your LinkedIn profile to recommend you to employers searching for new talent. So, make the most of it!

8. Employment Background Checks, Background Screening

Nowadays, many companies are striving to create inclusive and safe environments. To ensure they hire the right fit, they often rely on third-party vendors to conduct background checks.

If you Google your name and find it associated with hate crimes or criminal activities on the first page of Google or Google News, you'll likely face difficulties in finding a job.

The last thing companies want is to hire racists or someone who could disrupt their team dynamics. They prioritize maintaining a safe environment for all their colleagues. So, it's highly likely that you'll encounter some form of background check during the interview process at some point.

Another reason why companies will start implementing it is because of the rising number of scams and corporate espionage. In a world where technology has not only facilitated genuine remote work but also sophisticated fraudulent activities, the necessity for robust background verification has never been more critical.

The advent of AI and deepfake technologies has made it easier for individuals to fabricate identities, fake video interactions, and clone voices, making the virtual workspace a fertile ground for scams. A chilling instance of this is seen in a scam where thousands of fake remote IT workers channeled their wages to fund a North Korean weapons program.

These trends underline a grim reality; traditional background checks are no longer foolproof in the digital age when you can clone someone’s face and voice within seconds. As we step into 2024, more companies are anticipated to ramp up their background verification measures to navigate through the murky waters of online recruitment.

This will likely include a combination of advanced AI-driven verification tools, thorough vetting processes, and perhaps collaborations with global verification agencies to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the individuals they are bringing on board.

9. Spike of Job Scams

A sudden spike in job scams has become a growing concern recently, posing a serious threat to job seekers worldwide. With fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated tactics, unsuspecting individuals are falling victim to fake job postings, deceptive interviews, and fraudulent schemes.

With LinkedIn now implementing AI into their site, get ready to see an influx of so-called "experts" offering foolproof tips, guides, or services on how to outsmart this AI and increase your visibility. It will be the same story with ATS robot-proof resume templates, that we see on the market; the only thing that will change is that they will add “AI” into that.

Moreover, these "Top Voice" LinkedIn badges don't really help us determine if someone is truly an expert or just someone who has submitted a sufficient number of answers to AI-generated content on LinkedIn.

Get ready for the rise of paid content and training! Their sole purpose is to convince job seekers that they are the ultimate solution. Believe it or not, there are already plenty of people in the market doing just that, and what you see below is a perfect example.

Don't fall for these tricks, it won't help you stand out. When all those job seekers use the same messages, they just end up looking like clones and even come across as scammy to many recruiters. Trust me, being unique will make you shine in the market much better than wasting your hard-earned money on those scammy training and tips.

Job seekers must stay vigilant and informed, equipping themselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and avoid these scams. By understanding the red flags, conducting thorough research, and verifying the legitimacy of opportunities, individuals can safeguard themselves against falling prey to these malicious practices.

Job Search 2024

That was a lot, wasn’t it? But navigating the 2024 job market doesn’t have to feel like rocket science. Yes, AI is playing a bigger role, and yes, the influx of automated applications has created more noise. But remember, at the end of the day, companies are looking for genuine, passionate individuals.

Embrace the change, use the technology to your advantage, but don’t forget the human touch. Network, build relationships, and showcase your authenticity. The job market may be evolving, but your unique qualities? Those are timeless.

So, gear up, stay positive, and remember: you’ve got this! The 2024 job market is ready for you, and with these tools and tips in hand, you’re more than ready to conquer it. Happy job hunting!

Source: https://newsletter.jobsearch.guide/p/job-search-2024

21 Highly Effective Ways to Recognize Your Team

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:44:11 GMT

Employee recognition can be a powerful force for good in any workplace. At its most effective, different types of employee recognition lead to increased employee engagement, productivity, morale, sense of purpose , and employee retention .

But without a recognition framework or system in place, it can be tricky to craft meaningful and consistent workplace recognition. Ultimately, you’ll want to create a program that addresses your organization’s needs while tailoring your recognition to each employee you’re celebrating.

So what does effective recognition look like? Before we jump into examples, let’s review the characteristics of effective recognition :

Timely
Frequent
Specific
Visible
Inclusive
Values-based

It’s important to note that every type of recognition doesn’t need to embody all six elements. However, a comprehensive strategy should, in whole, encompass recognition that is timely, frequent, specific, visible, inclusive, and values-based in order to drive meaning.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the benefits and characteristics of recognition, let’s take a look at examples of effective recognition in practice. We’ve outlined 21 of our favorite employee recognition examples below, all labeled with the characteristic(s) they represent.

Let’s get the recognition ball rolling!

21 meaningful ways to recognize your teammates

1. Weekly Wins meetings

Timely, Frequent, Visible

Weekly Wins meetings are commonplace in a lot of work environments—and for good reason! They serve as an opportunity for your team to gather and publicly share accomplishments from the week. By holding the meetings each and every week, you’ll create a natural rhythm of recognition that will become a pillar of your company culture .

It’s important to note that 'wins' can be any size—from signing a new client to simply cleaning out the office fridge!

2. Share praise from customers

Visible, Inclusive, Values-based

What if the next time you receive a glowing customer email you share it company-wide? "Behind-the-scenes" team members will feel connected to the outcome of their work and get some cheer from their customer-facing colleagues. This is a meaningful way to celebrate all the moving parts and people that contribute to an organization’s success.

3. Company swag

Visible, Inclusive

Nothing groundbreaking here: people love swag! Celebrate a company milestone or team accomplishment with company-branded clothing, water bottles, or anything else you can dream up. With everybody sporting the same item, you’re encouraging a team mentality and your employees will always associate their swag with their accomplishment. ��

4. Treat your team to lunch

Visible, Inclusive

Sharing a meal is an age-old demonstration of care, but take it one step further and make sure to note who and what the meal is in honor of. You can take your team out to lunch or order a special meal to their home.

5. Offer a break from work

Visible, Inclusive

Whether you treat your team to an impromptu party or happy hour (virtual or in-person), an early release, or an organized offsite event , folks will cherish the chance to step away from the work environment. By offering your team time to let off a little steam, you’re effectively acknowledging all the hard work they regularly put in.

6. Share personal achievements and hobbies

Visible, Inclusive

We’re big believers in bringing your whole self to work , which means people should be celebrated for more than just their professional wins! By creating space for personal accomplishments and hobbies within the workplace, you’ll be recognizing your employees as the multi-faceted individuals they are.

Here at Bonusly, we have a slew of Slack channels where folks can share their interests and hobbies. It’s a great way to learn a bit more about one another and can lead to meaningful bonding. To encourage even more interaction, consider a monthly show-and-tell!

7. Bonusly

All characteristics ��

You knew this one was coming! A fun and smart recognition & rewards platform like Bonusly can be a tremendous tool in building connected, motivated, and high-performing teams.

It works like this: employees are given a monthly Bonusly allowance, which represents real monetary value. With that allowance, users can give bonuses to their peers, direct reports, and managers. Bonuses can be given in real-time and publicly so that everybody can join in on the celebration, or at least see what great things their teammates are doing. Finally, employees can redeem the points they’ve earned for any number of rewards, including gift cards , experiences, and charitable donations.

Bonusly is so effective precisely because it embodies all the characteristics of meaningful rewards we outlined up top and champions peer-to-peer recognition .

8. Make a charitable donation

Visible, Values-based

Make a donation in your employee’s name to the charity of their choice. You’ll be demonstrating that their values matter to the company and be making a positive difference in the world! Win-win.

9. Send a thoughtful note

Specific, Inclusive

Never underestimate the power of the written word! Verbal praise is wonderful, but there's something extra special about having a tangible record of recognition. A genuine email thanking your teammate can go a long way but consider taking the time to write a note by hand—in this digital age, it’s sure to mean a lot. ✍️

Get the whole team involved by having everyone write a heartfelt message! The lucky recipient will have a collection of appreciation and praise to revisit at any time. ��

10. Celebrate special days

Timely, Frequent, Specific

We have a lot of ideas on the best ways to celebrate birthdays in the workplace, as well as work anniversaries , so we’ll just sum it up here to say acknowledging someone’s special day is an easy—and important—form of recognition that shouldn’t be overlooked.

11. Offer wellness support

Values-based

Prioritizing employee wellness (both physical and mental!) should be part of your company’s recognition program. After all, when you support and enhance someone’s health and wellbeing, they naturally feel valued and cared for.

Consider a wellness stipend, group meditations, access to counseling, or even a gift card to get a massage. You can always crowdsource ideas from your team to see what would help them feel more balanced and supported.

12. Publicize promotions

Specific, Visible

A well-earned promotion is the result of hard work and countless accomplishments. While a promotion can be a form of recognition all by itself, why not amplify your efforts and really make an event of it?

The promoted individual’s manager can make an announcement in an email or meeting giving an overview of why the individual was promoted and specific impacts their work has had on the company. It’s a surefire way to encourage extra pats on the back from teammates and perhaps inspire a trend of excellence in the workplace!

13. Give a shout-out

Timely, Frequent, Specific, Visible

If you have the opportunity to call somebody out for a job well done in a company-wide meeting or even a cross-team meeting, do so! You’ll make the contributor feel appreciated, help minimize any team silos, and inform the rest of the company of great work they probably wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

14. Include employees on your website

Visible, Inclusive

Including your employees on your ‘About Us’ page can instill a tremendous sense of pride. It’s a simple action that truly makes everyone feel like part of the whole. After all, solely featuring the founder or executive team on your website doesn’t really paint the full picture of your company!

Take it one step further and hire a photographer to take photos of your team—everyone could use a fabulous headshot! ��

15. Feature your team on social media

Specific, Visible, Inclusive

Turn to LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or whichever social media platform your company favors to recognize your employees.

Here at Bonusly, we get started on someone’s very first day! We post about new hires with a short bio and photo to immediately make folks feel welcome to our community.

Moving forward, offer shoutouts for specific projects or new product features. Or consider writing a recommendation on someone’s profile! The act of publicly broadcasting your appreciation will go far.

16. Offer professional development

Values-based, Inclusive

Investing in your employee's careers is a powerful way to demonstrate their significance to the company. It’s communicating that you see their potential and want to help them further themselves. Plus, when employees feel like they have room to grow, they’re bound to be more invested in their jobs.

Make sure to hold regular career discussions with employees to understand their personal and professional goals and make them feel like equal partners in the opportunities available to them.

17. Surprise your team with treats

Timely/Frequent

Whether you bring in coffee, donuts, or anything else your teammates love, this is a small gesture that can break up the day and make everybody feel cared for. ��

18. Create sharing opportunities

Visible, Inclusive, Values-based

Give your employees the chance to take center stage! You can offer guest presentations at all-hands meetings, create a Slack channel for employees to share what they’re working on, host company-wide demo days, set up lunch-and-learns—the list goes on and on.

Whichever way you do it, creating opportunities for your employees to openly share their hard work demonstrates how much you value all that they do.

19. Make it a game

Inclusive, Values-based

If there’s anything we want to get across, it’s that recognition can—and should—be fun! So why not make a game of it? ��

Consider team-based rewards. A team can select a reward (maybe it’s a happy hour, swag, or that new office gadget everyone really wants) and then outline what they have to achieve to get that reward. It’s a great way to infuse some fun in the workplace and get everyone moving towards a common goal.

20. Count the little things

Specific, Visible, Inclusive

You know how they say “it’s the little things that count”? Well, that’s true in the workplace, too.

Not everybody at your company is going to have flashy or visible wins, and even glamorous jobs have less-than-glamorous parts. So make sure to acknowledge the small stuff! Whether it’s tidying up the office, doing admin work, or even getting hung up on a certain number of times when cold calling, give recognition for the very necessary tasks that aren’t always so fun.

21. Project-specific bonuses

Timely/Frequent, Specific

With a value we all understand, sometimes monetary rewards are the way to go. If your employee accomplished a project-specific goal at work, consider offering a bonus. Research shows that employees who receive regular small rewards are 8x more engaged than those who receive compensation increases and bonuses just once a year.

‍

As you start thinking about which ideas to bring back to your workplace, remember to keep the characteristics of meaningful recognition front of mind. And if you’re not sure which ideas would best resonate with your team, ask! Recognition and rewards aren't one-size-fits-all, so the act of asking your colleagues how they like to be appreciated is a meaningful practice in and of itself.

Of course, if you use a recognition system like Bonusly , you’ll automatically enable your employees to choose how they’re recognized, as well as champion peer-to-peer recognition.

How will you recognize your employees?

Employee recognition has a place in each and every company—it’s just a matter of figuring out which practices are right for you and your team. Take these ideas back to your workplace, experiment, and don’t be afraid to get creative ! Even if it takes a minute to find your recognition groove, we promise you’ll be glad you did.

For more ideas, check out the Guide to Modern Employee Recognition , or sign up for a free demo of Bonusly.

Source: https://bonusly.com/post/effective-ways-to-recognize-your-team

How to Create Employee Development Plans That Actually Work

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:44:10 GMT

Employee development plans form an invisible backbone for every business or organisation. But what does it take to develop a plan that actually works? We explain.

What is an employee development plan and why does it matter?

An employee development plan is a written plan of action formulated by a line manager that outlines the goals, desires, expectations, and development opportunities of a member of staff.

Do more than prepare employees for advancement

Do more than just prepare your employees; make sure there’s room for them to grow.

New approaches to employee engagement mean better business

And it works. A 124-slide PowerPoint presentation from the company about its unique approach to employment now has millions of views since it was published in 2009, and since then the company has grown to become one of the biggest media brands in the world.

Evaluate your company’s needs

Motivated? Now it’s time to start evaluating your company’s needs and incorporating your conclusion into a development plan that will yield real results.

Consider the following questions:

Does your company currently have any skill gaps?
Is your company capable of attracting new talent?
Is your team meeting targets, or do you require improvement?
Are you keeping up with market trends?
Are your employees happy, and have you offered employees the chance to give you feedback?
Is your company currently in a position to offer promotion opportunities?
Do you offer promotion opportunities, or are outside hires commonplace?

Create your plan with the answers to these questions in mind. We will explore why these questions are important throughout the rest of this piece.

Plan to achieve milestones

Filling skill gaps and attracting new talent

It is essential, however, that employees are not encouraged to work towards a goal they aren’t personally attracted to or interested in. While filling a skill gap is a great opportunity to train an employee, it could cost more in the long-term when that employee leaves the company citing disinterest in their role. That’s why it is just as essential to consider your company’s ability to attract new talent, as it is to allow current employees to advance their career. Find goals that your employees are interested in working towards and you are on a fantastic footing to create a plan that will yield results.

Enable and engage employees, always

That includes:

Clarifying expectations;
Using technology to connect employees;
Keeping track with one-on-one meetings;
Inspiring a culture of remote work;
Utilising team-building activities.

Regularly revisit plans and adapt to change

Always be willing to adapt to change and to respond to variables. That way, your plan always stays viable for all involved.

Ensure all plans are central to the role

Incorporate the plan into daily work schedules!

In Summary

Ensure goals are desirable for both parties;
Create reasonable and achievable milestones without expecting too much, or too little;
Identify skills gaps and incorporate these into every plan, to avoid excessive future outside hires;
Don’t just prepare employees for career advancement, but ensure your company has room for them to move up the ladder before setting milestones;
Foster a culture of trust and give your employees room to grow;
Engage with your employees, arrange team-building activities, and make them feel respected and appreciated;
Regularly revisit milestones and adapt to change when necessary;
Make employee development plans central to daily work schedules.

Source: https://inside.6q.io/create-employee-development-plans/

6 Essential Steps Before You Start Job Hunting

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:44:06 GMT

Looking for a new job can be a daunting experience. The job market is constantly changing, and the list of requirements for applicants seems to grow longer and longer. Your resume is probably out of date, and how are you supposed to know how many golf balls can fit in a school bus (a question asked in too many interviews!)? No need to panic; just follow our step-by-step guide, and you’ll be sitting in an interview room in no time.

Before you start looking at career sites in searching for your next employer, get a few things in order. The last thing you want is to appear disorganized and out of touch. Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself:

1. Decide what you want out of a new job

Take the time to decide what you want to do. What are you good at and what do you enjoy? Do you want to stay in the industry you know, or do you want to branch out into a new field? What kind of company culture do you want? Figuring this out will help you narrow down your job search.

2. Give your resume a makeover

Although there are alternatives , most people opt for a CV or resume to illustrate their personal brand. There are a variety of resume structures out there to choose from. Find the one that you feel best represents you.

Be honest. Whether the last company you worked for has a bad reputation or you have a criminal record, the truth will come out. There are open-minded recruiters who will take circumstances into account when considering you. And don’t be afraid to include your hobbies as some recruiters find this information revealing.

If you already have a specific job posting in mind, include keywords from the ad in your resume. Many companies use applicant tracking systems to filter out resumes that don’t match the criteria. Don’t let a bot be the reason you’re not shortlisted for an interview!

3. Clean up your social media

The company you apply to will inevitably search for you online . Will they be satisfied or scandalized? While it’s not about censoring you, make sure your privacy settings are such that questionable posts are only visible to certain people. However, since many recruiters require a LinkedIn profile as part of your application, it may be best to keep it clean and open here.

4. Hit up your contacts

Let it be known that you’re ready for a new job. A good place to start is reaching out to your friends, family, colleagues, and former college connections. Referrals from existing employees or contractors will save the hiring company time and money so they’ll be eager to follow the lead. Another way to get your job-seeking status out there is to attend networking events and workshops where you’ll be able to talk your way into a job. (insert link for “Speaking tricks that’ll help you talk your way to a new job”)

5. Monitor potential employers

Keep an eye on companies you’d like to work for when you look for a new job. The best way to do that is by following them on their social platforms. That way, you’ll always know the latest news and be alerted when a job opportunity arises. Sign up for their newsletters and even purchase their products or services if possible. This will put you in a good light when you can give them positive feedback in your interview.

6. Prepare an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a 40-second speech that explains who you are, what you’re currently working on, and what your future plans are. Not only will it help you narrow down exactly what you want, but it’s also handy to use at job fairs, networking events, and even in your online profile. It’s a succinct, informative way to introduce yourself and answer the dreaded “Tell me about yourself” question in an interview.

How your job status affects your job hunt

Depending on your current employment status, your approach to the job hunt may differ from an unemployed job seeker. Here are a few examples of situations that can affect the way you approach your employment search, and what to do to get it right:

You’re currently employed and looking for a new job

When you start actively looking for a job, do so on your own devices and time. Depending on the nature of your relationship with your supervisor, you’ll probably need to be discreet and only use former employers as references. Be sure to maintain a positive attitude at your current workplace and continue to work hard.

You’re returning to work after a career break

Whether you stopped working to be a stay-at-home parent or you went on sabbatical, re-entering the workforce can be challenging. According to the Wall Street Journal , the rising cost of living is compelling retirees to rejoin the labor force.

Make sure your resume reflects any courses or volunteer work you did during your time away. Get up to date with the latest trends in your industry and hold pretend interviews using common interview questions . Don’t shy away from explaining your job gap (insert link for “How to explain job gaps in an interview”) – be honest and upfront about it while explaining how you made the most of your time away .

You’re in your final year of college

Don’t wait until graduation to start looking for a job. Whether it’s an internship or a part-time job while you’re studying, work experience will help you build a strong resume and provide insight into whether this is the industry for you. Get references from your professors to further strengthen your CV and take advantage of career guidance centers on your campus that can put you on the right path for your chosen field. After you graduate, keep yourself busy with workshops and short courses while you’re looking for work.

Final thoughts

These tips to prepare you for your job hunt will leave you feeling better prepared for the challenge. If you organize yourself this way, you’ll have a better handle on the job hunting process. Once you’re ready for interviews, be sure to check out our sample questions and answers in preparation for your big day.

Source: https://resources.workable.com/career-center/6-essential-steps-before-you-start-job-hunting/

Recruiting Challenges and Opportunities in Today’s Labor Market

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:44:03 GMT

An era of uncertainty has made its way into recruiting. Many talent practitioners are asking themselves, “What in the world is going on?” The truth is, the new normal is here to stay. And volatility is the name of the game. Unemployment remains low, while wages, inflation, and interest rates remain high. The number of open jobs continues to outpace unemployed workers.

Despite the turbulence, recruiting professionals should be encouraged by recent trends. Employ data shows that applications per job are up over the last year across companies of all sizes, and more than half of all recruiters expect their teams to grow in the next year, with nearly two-thirds expecting their recruiting budgets to increase.

A Look at the Current Recruiting Landscape

Navigating recruiting challenges in the current hiring landscape takes grit, resolve, and determination. While more than half (53%) of talent acquisition professionals feel their job is more stressful today than a year ago, this number has actually dropped by more than 10 percentage points from just last year.

Those talent practitioners who indicate a high level of stress today say it’s due to not enough qualified candidates (45%), competition from other employers (35%), more open roles to fill (34%), fewer resources to support hiring (33%), a lack of AI-powered recruiting technologies (30%), and more employees leaving the organization (30%).

For those talent professionals who do not feel their recruiting job is more stressful than it was a year ago (44%), over one-third say it’s because of a stable number of open roles to fill (38%), the ability to meet candidate expectations (37%), the same number or fewer employees are leaving the organization (36%), plenty of qualified candidates (36%), and more recruiters or additional recruiting resources (36%).

Recruiting Challenges

When it comes to the most significant challenges talent teams face today, there is a fairly even split among three primary areas:

Not enough people to fill open positions (31% in 2023 versus 56% in 2022)
Competition from other employers (30% in 2023 versus 54% in 2022)
Not able to compete with salary requirements (25% in 2023 versus 33% in 2022)

However, there are positive trends in this data. The significant drop of more than 20 points in the first two areas means that employers are finding more talented candidates overall and that they are competing more effectively with other employers.

“There is so much uncertainty in the market. The expectation of hiring managers and leaders is that the tide of layoffs should equal much easier access to talent and that’s not always the case. We hire in the technology space and truly top talent remains as hard to hire as ever. Candidates are still showing up with multiple offers already in hand.”

Ian Creamer
Vice President and Global Head of Talent Attraction, Guidewire Software

Opportunities and Shifting Strategies

To deal with the challenges of the current job market, many businesses have shifted their recruiting strategies to impact their hiring process. Nearly 60% of talent acquisition professionals also indicate that because of the tight labor market, they are taking chances on different ways to accelerate time to hire and reach candidates.

This includes making sure the hiring process is faster (42%), increasing salaries for new open jobs (40%), providing remote work and hybrid options (38%), and incorporating AI-powered technologies (34%).

Compared to last year, organizations are now able to be flexible in some areas of recruiting, including taking more time looking for candidates (43%), incorporating AI-powered technologies (43%), focusing on internal mobility (39%), using personal networks (35%), opening new requisitions (32%), posting to paid job boards (30%), and expectations for the number of candidates applying to roles (28%).

Improving the quality of candidates remains essential in the current labor market for recruiters and talent acquisition teams, with almost half indicating it is their top priority (49%). However, compared to last year, this number decreased by 12 points.

For 4 in 10 recruiters, getting more candidates for each open role is a priority, followed by improving the speed of the hiring process (33%), and improving the onboarding process (31%).

The current state of talent acquisition can be characterized as highly dynamic and competitive. Talent scarcity and demand continues to favor a candidate’s market, and organizations are working diligently to create employer value propositions that successfully capture application volume.

Leveraging AI-Powered Recruiting Tools

While recruiting automation has empowered companies of all sizes for more than two decades to streamline hiring tasks, increase recruiter productivity, speed time to hire, and reduce cost per hire, AI is newer to talent acquisition. And it has the attention of talent teams. Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) of recruiting professionals cite a lack of AI-powered recruiting technologies as a major stress in their job.

With AI now one of the fastest-growing areas to enhance recruitment technology, talent acquisition professionals have already started adopting its capabilities for more intelligent hiring. In fact, more than 58% of recruiters and HR decision makers already use AI to augment their current recruitment technology tech stack, with 82% percent reporting using AI-powered tools frequently or very frequently.

When it comes to use cases in talent acquisition, teams are leveraging AI for multiple uses across the recruiting lifecycle. Chatbots and intelligent candidate messaging (45%), job recommendations on career sites (41%), email and recruitment marketing content (39%), and screening candidates via automated messages (39%) are the top AI approaches currently leveraged in the hiring process. This is followed by intelligent sourcing (38%), candidate matching (36%), diversity, equity, and inclusion network balancing (37%), and job description recommendations (36%).

Organizations must invest in the right set of AI tools that fit their hiring needs, culture, and values. They must also strike a balance between AI’s ability to streamline recruitment processes and the need for human intervention at crucial stages of the recruitment process. Of the HR decision makers who currently use AI to augment recruiting technology, nearly half (47%) leverage AI-powered recruiting tools with AI functionality built in.

By allowing AI to automate processes and reduce repetitive tasks, recruiters can focus on the activities where they derive the most satisfaction and provide the most value, such as selling the role, negotiations, community building, and personalization. Not only does this improve the recruiter experience, but the candidate experience as well.

Moving Forward with Confidence

While recruiting challenges are apparent, so too is the optimism of the industry. Discover why an overwhelming 86% of HR decision makers are optimistic for the future. Download the 2023 Employ Recruiter Nation Report: Moving Forward in Uncertainty .

Source: https://www.nxtthingrpo.com/recruiting-challenges-in-labor-market/

The Benefits of Exercise for Employees: How to Improve Productivity and Reduce Stress

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:42:23 GMT

We have all been there- tried the workout apps, tweaked our schedules accordingly, and even adjusted our workflow, but there seem to be a few gaps when it comes to improving our productivity.

Well, what if we told you that there’s a tool that can significantly improve productivity and reduce stress, and it’s completely free?

We all wish to be more productive, multitask effortlessly, finish our deliverables on time, and give enough time to our families at home. To achieve this, we push ourselves harder to reach that competitive edge. However, after a point, burnout settles in and digs at our productivity.

Could exercise be the missing piece of the productivity routine? Physical exercise has been linked with increased productivity and decreased stress levels across a range of medical literature. Regular exercise elevates our mood, and makes us healthier- and in the workplace, this translates to feeling more motivated. In the following paragraphs, we will outline the benefits of exercise for boosting employee productivity. We will also discuss some exercises which can help employees achieve their physical and professional goals.

What can employers do to encourage fitness?

However, before we move on, it is important to also address the fact that most employees do not get the time to chase after their fitness goals for numerous reasons. Work stress and tight deadlines are undoubtedly some of the most pressing of those. This is why many corporations across the globe have started the policy of introducing exercise in the workplace. This is not a novel idea, since a lot of companies have stressed the importance of physical and mental fitness for improved productivity. This can be one of the best ways to motivate employees to do better.

Sitting for long hours at work is linked with lower mental wellness and decreased work productivity. Many employers have also undertaken interventions such as standing desks or offering employees time to work out during office hours to improve their mental acuity and work performance.

Many other companies have partnered with gyms and fitness centres to provide employees with free memberships to encourage fitness. This is because employers understand that these costs will be nothing compared to the benefits they will receive from employees’ improved health and work performance. It has been seen that such measures have also resulted in better employee retention .

How does exercise improve work productivity?

Let us now look at the benefits associated with physical activity for employees.

Stress relief

The effects of stress on the human body can be far-reaching. Stressed-out employees can display physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of stress. Exercise helps employees handle their stress levels in a better way by reducing cortisol levels (the stress hormone released by the body) and releasing endorphins, which can help the mind relax.

One of the most common ways employees tackle workplace stress is by binge eating. This triggers a vicious cycle of more stress since these snacks contain high levels of sodium, which simply stresses the body even more. Instead, employees can be motivated to take a workout break, such as going for a short walk or simply doing some yoga, whenever they feel too stressed.

Healthy heart

Cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes are among the most common health issues faced by employees across the globe. Moreover, these conditions can be very taxing on employers since they have to cover health insurance for their employees suffering from these.

Regular exercise promotes a healthy heart, which helps employees deal with health conditions. Moreover, when employees are less occupied with personal concerns, they tend to perform better at work. As they become fitter, the burden of insurance on employers also lessens. Ultimately, in this way, encouraging employees to live a healthy life through regular physical activity can be advantageous to employers in more ways than just one.

Improved concentration

Exercise not only stimulates the muscles of the body, it also improves blood circulation to the brain. It keeps the glucose and oxygen levels high within the body. All of this makes the brain focus harder on the work at hand. Moreover, exercise has been shown to stimulate the growth of neural pathways in the brain, which increases concentration.

When employees are focused, it is easier to stick to deadlines and deliver excellent results.

Reduced fatigue

It might be ironic that physical exercise can be useful to combat fatigue when working out in itself can be a pretty tiring job. However, regular exercise can improve energy levels and reduce fatigue. This is because exercise makes it easier to get slow-wave sleep, which is essential for the body to recharge and rejuvenate itself. A lot of stressed-out individuals always complain about not getting enough sleep. Therefore, they are tired and drowsy throughout the day, which results in decreased productivity at work.

Regular physical activity will improve your quality of sleep, making you more productive and energetic at work, so that you can perform at peak conditions.

Increased energy levels

The body can get a much-needed boost from exercise-induced hormones, which can have an immediate effect on energy levels. Each time we push our bodies to go harder during exercise, we also increase our energy levels. As a result of increased energy levels, exercise also leads to an improved mood. An optimistic outlook will help employees produce better work.

Moreover, exercise in any form helps people become more disciplined. This improves their time management skills, which is an excellent quality when it comes to working under tight deadlines.

When colleagues meet outside of the professional work environment fosters healthy personal and professional relationships. Allowing employees to socialise outside the work environment can be a driving force behind employee engagement ; moreover, it shows that the company wants employees to thrive beyond the workspace.

Therefore, as we can see, the benefits of exercise are not only physical. Studies have shown that exercise helps in improving memory, aids in concentration and encourages creative thinking and quicker learning. These attributes are directly related to employee productivity and stress management. Regular exercise, therefore, is one of the easiest ways to boost productivity and output.

The best exercises to boost productivity

Exercise is the best medicine. When it comes to increasing productivity, low-intensity workouts have more benefits than high-intensive exercises. This is important to keep in mind, because a very intensive training routine may just end up making us even more tired. However, certain high-intensity exercises such as the EMOM workout can be very efficient for working professionals due to their time-saving factor.

Certain exercises are meant to increase productivity among employees, and some of these can be done while sitting at the desk!

Walking

Probably the simplest form of exercising- walking outdoors in nature- is one of the best ways to work out to improve productivity. This could be at any point of time throughout the day. While walking outdoors is ideal, using an elliptical machine at home or a treadmill at a gym can also be a good way to get on your steps for the day. Walking is a form of low-impact exercise that works on the whole body, burns a lot of calories and can freshen the mind.

Walking can be encouraged among employees in several ways, such as introducing standing desks, going out on their lunch break instead of eating at the office; using the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a quick stroll during breaks to recharge the mind, and so on.

Yoga

Yoga not only strengthens the body, it also helps clear the mind and this is very useful when it comes to making important business decisions. Yoga promotes mindfulness, which can be a great way to manage stress at work. When employees are less stressed, they generally produce better results. Yoga helps employees relax in their work environment. Some forms of yoga can also be performed while sitting at the desk.

Low-intensity aerobic workout

Jogging, swimming and other low-intensity exercises target the body’s core. These can help in elevating overall fitness more healthily and naturally. Low-intensity workouts are geared towards increasing productivity and mental fitness.

Strength training

Strength training exercises are vital to improving physical and mental alertness. This is because an increase in the heart rate while performing these exercises also leads to the brain getting dibs on the oxygen and blood supply. This sharpens the sense of awareness and alertness, which can be very useful for honing decision-making skills at work. These exercises also help employees retain more energy, which is reflected in their enthusiastic and optimistic approach to working.

Some examples of strength training include climbing stairs, hill walking, lifting weights, squats, push-ups and sit-ups. EMOM training can also be customised into strength training modules and performed for better efficiency.

Seated leg raisers

This is one of the exercises that can help in strengthening the lower body as well as combating lower back pain. Many working individuals complain of back and shoulder pain, which can be a hindrance to their productivity levels. Certain exercises are tailored to counter these aches and pains so that employees can work while doing them. Seated leg raisers simply involve putting the legs together, and raising them at intervals for a specific number of reps.

Shoulder shrugs

An exercise tailored to counter back and neck pain, shoulder shrugs are easy to do while you work. Moreover, they are completely inconspicuous and will not take any additional time. They involve raising both shoulders towards the ears, holding them for a few seconds, and continuing this over a certain number of reps. This is associated with lowering back and neck pain, which can help in boosting productivity and preventing drowsiness.

When to exercise for maximum productivity?

Thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week is recommended for a healthy lifestyle. When exercising to improve productivity, consistency and progress is more important than how many calories are burnt. It is important to remember that the motive of exercise in this case is to improve mental alertness and manage stress, instead of building muscles. This is why it is important to choose an exercise that is appealing since it will not seem like just another chore.

The timing of exercise is also very important, particularly for working professionals who are always under tight schedules. Balancing work and personal commitments as well as a moderate physical activity regimen can be quite difficult. This is why it is not recommended to work out at the end of the day since this will just make a tired body even more tired. Morning and early afternoon are the best times to exercise, since they prevent daytime drowsiness, improve energy levels and can help concentrate better.

Building habits can take some time. However, isn’t it better to have a ten-minute consistent workout over a 60-minute regimen that is seldom done? The less the time commitment, the more likely people are to build habits. Here are a few tips to include exercise in a busy routine:

Start small

Make sure to not aim for very ambitious timings right at the beginning of the workout journey. Starting small and building from there is far more important.

Always have fun

As mentioned earlier, it is important to choose an activity that stimulates us, rather than choosing the hardest or most straining exercise. People are more likely to stick with something they like doing, instead of something they feel like they are being forced to do.

Make a routine

Building a habit involves staying on a consistent routine, every day of the week. Giving up even for a single day can ruin a winning streak. This is why it is important to stick to a set routine for a few months before it evolves into a habit.

In Summary

It is time to get out of the mindset that exercise is only meant for athletes and bodybuilders. Exercise has a clear and concise effect on productivity, as we have seen. Increased productivity can be noticed within a few weeks of implementing a fairly moderate exercise regimen. Employers around the world should encourage employees to be more physically active since this will have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line as well.

Source: https://inside.6q.io/exercise-for-employees/

5 Ways To Find Out What Hiring Managers Are Looking For

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:42:20 GMT

When looking for a new job, it’s important to know what hiring managers are looking for. You can be incredibly qualified, with years of experience and top qualifications, but if you don’t convince the hiring manager you’re the right person, you won’t get the job.

So how can you figure out what hiring managers are looking for? We’ve got some top tips so you can know exactly what to talk about, and what questions to ask in your next job interview.

How to find out what hiring managers want during an interview

Read the job spec from their perspective

When reading the job description, we usually think of it in terms of our experience and our qualifications. However, it can be helpful for you to think of the list of skills and necessary experience from the perspective of the manager looking to fill the role. What do they consider core skills for the role? What kinds of problems are they looking to solve? Why is that?

This perspective will help you answer questions in a way that illustrates how you’ll make their life easier, instead of just listing off qualifications or professional achievements.

Research the company

From here, it can be helpful to research the company. Search for coverage in industry publications, as well as their social media and the blog on their website.

These sources can tell you what projects they’re working on, what strategies they’re using, and what they’re aiming for in the future.

You, as a new hire, should be helping them towards that future. If you can show in an interview that you understand their vision, and can help them achieve it, you’re going to stand out compared to the other applicants.

Learn what success looks like in this role

Hiring managers want someone who can do the job well. Of course, doing the job well means different things to different people, so it can be helpful to have a wide range of opinions and ideas when it comes to what impact you should be having at your job.

Research online to see what success looks like in your industry, in your specific area, and in this type of role. Compare this to your previous experience, so that you can prove that you’ve achieved similar goals in the past. If you haven’t, think about how you could use your skills in new ways.

Speak to others in your industry network

It can be helpful to speak to others in your industry network who have interviewed for similar positions. If you’ve worked with someone who had the same type of role, asking them about their interview could make all the difference.

If you’re using a recruitment agency in your job search, don’t forget that recruitment agencies aren’t just about finding you jobs, they’re also about improving your career through interview coaching. Your recruitment contact should know what the hiring manager is looking for, and can give you tips on how to tailor your answers to what they want.

Ask them during your interview

This last point is the easiest and simplest on the list: you can find out what hiring managers are looking for by asking them in your interview.

If you aren’t sure exactly what they want, or why, your interview is the perfect opportunity to find out, and convince them that you can provide it.

An interview isn’t one-sided, it’s a dialogue between you and the hiring manager. You can ask any questions you want: what is the company’s plan for the future, what kind of person would be best suited for the role, is there anything about your skills or experience that they aren’t sold on?

Use the interview as an opportunity to sell yourself, but also to learn more about their hopes and expectations for the person they’re looking to hire. If you do this, you’ll be better able to present yourself as the right person for the job.

Once you know what the hiring manager is looking for, through critical thinking, research, and asking smart questions in your interview, you’ll be in a strong position to impress them, and hopefully get offered the job you want.

Learn how to explain a gap in your CV , or learn how to format your CV when looking for an engineering job .

Source: https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/5-ways-to-find-out-what-hiring-managers-are-looking-for?__hstc=118456598.fd773c3dc1b377bc35cb463672c8da90.1701906153679.1701906153679.1701906153679.1&__hssc=118456598.2.1701906153680&__hsfp=2669229988&hsutk=fd773c3dc1b377bc35cb463672c8da90&contentType=blog-post

We Still Have Multiple Generations in the Workplace, but What They Want Has Changed

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 02:56:14 GMT

It was only about five years ago when employers noted for the first time that five generations were working side-by-side — from Traditionalists (born 1928-1945) staying in their jobs long past retirement age to the influx of millennials (born 1981-1996) now finding their stride at work and Gen Z (born 1997-2005) testing the waters.

Such a sprawling age range left employers trying to balance hiring strategies, employee benefits decisions and workplace culture to accommodate them all equitably.

Today, Traditionalists have mostly departed the workforce, and members of Generation Alpha are still below working age, so we’re essentially back to four generations in the workplace. But little of what we learned about them even five years ago still applies. Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) are the ones seemingly delaying retirement, and Gen Z are the ones bringing energy and new expectations into the workplace.

Meanwhile, social and economic disruption, a global pandemic and historically low unemployment rates have shifted life priorities and changed what work means for all these groups — often in different ways.

That makes generational sentiments in the workplace worth reexamining. So, to dig deeply into what employees of every age want from their employers, Robert Half surveyed more than 1,000 North American workers 18 and older in November 2022 and in January and April 2023.

The result is a revealing new e-book, Examining the Multigenerational Workforce . It details nine essential facts about the four primary age groups at work that can help managers recruit, motivate and retain today’s professionals at every age and stage of their careers.

The research goes beyond generational stereotypes to uncover how these four generations of professionals feel about the workplace and the companies they want to work for, as well as how they define professional success.

Understanding what diverse generations want and expect in the workplace is the key to creating workplace cultures that work for everyone:

What is the modern work experience that digital natives Gen Z are looking for?
How can we leverage the energy of the huge millennial cohort?
How do we keep Gen X (born 1965-1980) engaged in their prime earning years?
And how do we retain baby boomers and their institutional knowledge?

Read Robert Half’s new e-book to learn what to emphasize when recruiting and interviewing candidates, along with ways to better engage your employees at any age to keep retention rates high.

Source: https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/management-tips/we-still-have-multiple-generations-in-the-workplace-but-what-they-want-has-changed

The Real Cost of Employee Turnover (And How to Prevent It)

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 02:56:04 GMT

The true cost of employee turnover involves more than just recruiting-related expenses. In fact, when an employee leaves, it can cost from one-half to two times that worker’s annual salary to replace them. That’s because losing a team member includes added costs like:

Advertising the position your company now must backfill
Onboarding the eventual person who accepts the offer
Lost productivity during the time the role remains open

you consider that voluntary attrition ranges from 12% to a whopping 60% annually, depending on the industry, it’s clear that the cost of employee turnover can quickly get out of hand.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows professionals working across sectors and at companies of different sizes are still exiting their organizations — for reasons ranging from a lack of career development to a poor opinion on their company culture to insufficient pay. So, it’s more important than ever for companies to drive down turnover and boost retention.

40% of workers report high employee turnover in their organization and an increase in their workloads due to voluntary attrition.

Calculating the Cost of Employee Turnover

Before exploring ways you can reduce employee turnover at your company, let’s first examine what goes into the actual cost of replacing an employee for most companies today.

Unfortunately, the real cost of turnover is difficult to measure because most businesses lack the cohesive systems needed to track relevant metrics across various departments like HR, finance, and operations. That said, there are several tangible numbers that you should keep in mind:

Hiring costs : Recent research from SHRM shows the average cost of hiring a new, full-time employee is around $4,700 . If you offer signing bonuses and relocation packages, be sure to include them in your calculation.
Temporary employees and overtime : You may need to allocate additional budget to hiring temporary workers or paying overtime to fill the gap left by departing employees.
Training costs : New employees often require specialized training to learn their job. TrainingMag research puts the average cost per learner at $986 . But, don’t forget hidden costs, like shipping materials to remote employees.
Time to full productivity : This is a pretty simple calculation based on average ramp-up time. If it takes the average new employee three months to fully onboard, the cost is 25% of their annual pay, six months is 50% of annual pay, and so o

Reasons for Employee Turnover

Conventional wisdom says that employees change jobs to increase their pay. That’s not always the case. While compensation does often play a part in the decision to leave a job , research continues to show that pay is not the most important driver. Other factors — including communication, leadership, workplace environment, and a lack of appreciation for their work — are cited far more often.

The latest Job Seeker Nation Survey found that career growth is the most critical factor (56%) when looking for a new job.

Compensation is also an important consideration (54%), followed by benefits (49%) and flexible schedules (33%). An overarching theme of turnover in recent years is also workers’ desire for employee development programs to reskill and upskill and take on new roles.

All of these stats lead to one clear conclusion: employee turnover is largely preventable. In fact, a study by the Work Institute found that more than three-quarters of professionals who left a job voluntarily could have been retained by employers .

The keys to doing so are clear : Provide career opportunities, create a great workplace, and make employees feel valued. You may have to invest some money, but you’ll end up saving in the long run.

How to Reduce Employee Turnover

Depending on the size of your organization, employee turnover may be costing you tens of thousands of dollars each year. Your business would be far better off investing collective time, resources, and energy to make your employees want to be part of your business for years to come.

With that in mind, here are five areas to focus on as you work to limit employee turnover.

1) Employer brand

Your employer brand refers to the way your company is perceived by both prospective customers and job candidates . In terms of your TA efforts, it’s the way you differentiate yourself to potential hires.

It’s important to establish an authentic and consistent employer brand in the marketplace, to ensure that job seekers understand who you are as a company, how you treat your employees, and whether your values align with their own — leading to fewer surprises once they’ve been hired.

2) Onboarding

It’s no secret that a significant percentage of new hires leave within the first year, or even the first six months. If you want employees to stick with your company, you need to set them up for success.

An effective onboarding program will help new employees acclimate to the company, their team, and their responsibilities — ultimately leading to a better experience. You may have to get creative with onboarding in today’s remote environment, but that doesn’t make it any less important.

Just 26% of recruiters indicate their organization is prioritizing improvements to employee retention.

3) Internal mobility

Giving employees an opportunity to grow within your company is a win-win. For employers, it turns your workforce into a robust talent pipeline. And for employees, it increases job satisfaction and creates an incentive to stay with your company for the long term.

4) Employee engagement and culture

As mentioned earlier, workplace environment is one of the top drivers of employee turnover. Creating a culture that keeps employees engaged takes some effort, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Even little changes can make a big difference.

Keep in mind, your company’s values have more impact on culture than free snacks and ping-pong tables. A recent LinkedIn study revealed that 86% of millennials would take a pay cut to work for an employer who shares their values .

5) Technology

Employees expect a simple, intuitive, and seamless experience at work that fosters creativity, enhances productivity, and encourages collaboration. Using top tools at your organization leads to increased job satisfaction for employees.

Source: https://www.nxtthingrpo.com/blog-real-cost-employee-turnover/

The High Stakes of Healthcare Recruiting: Talent Shortages, Employee Turnover, and a Competitive Job Market

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 02:56:02 GMT

Part 1 of the Healthcare Recruiting Series

The healthcare industry has long been known for its complex workforce dynamics, demanding requirements, and constant need for skilled professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles. Healthcare recruiting faces an uphill battle as talent teams strive to attract and retain top talent in a market that is highly competitive and constantly evolving.

The shortage of skilled workers, high turnover rates, and employee stress levels are just some of the challenges faced by recruiters in the industry.

In this blog, we will delve deeper into the difficulties healthcare recruiters face in finding the right candidates, explore the reasons why healthcare professionals are leaving their jobs, examine the impact of high turnover, and suggest strategies to overcome these challenges.

Challenges in the Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is unique in that it requires a delicate mix of clinical and non-clinical employees, all working to care for patients and run the business side of healthcare. The recruitment process, as a result, is especially challenging due to factors, such as talent shortages, high employee turnover rates, and the competitive nature of job seekers in the market.

Recent Employ data indicate that nearly 80% of clinical employees and 88% of non-clinical healthcare employees are open to other job opportunities. Additionally, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing , approximately 30,200 new APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) will be needed each year through 2031 to meet the rising demand for care. This puts added pressure on recruiters to not only hire top talent, but also retain existing employees.

High demands of the industry, the need for advanced skills, and the fast-paced nature of the job contribute to increased stress levels among healthcare professionals, which in turn affects employee retention. Understanding these challenges is essential for healthcare recruiters to develop effective strategies to attract and retain the best talent in the industry.

Pain Points in Healthcare Recruiting

In order to successfully tackle healthcare recruiting, it is first essential to understand the unique pain points that this industry faces, which vary between clinical and non-clinical roles.

Clinical Healthcare Recruiting

Clinical healthcare workers are the backbone of any healthcare organization, directly contributing to patient care and outcomes. Despite their importance, the industry has struggled with employee retention and a shortage of qualified candidates, making the healthcare recruiter’s job all the more challenging.

With nearly 80% of all clinical healthcare employees open to new job opportunities and 30.6% actively looking for another job, it’s clear that healthcare recruiters must focus on maintaining employee satisfaction and engagement.

Non-Clinical Healthcare Recruiting

Administrators, support personnel, and non-patient facing healthcare practitioners are equally important in ensuring the smooth functioning of daily operations. Even so, non-clinical staff members face their own challenges, with 88% of these employees open to new jobs and 38.5% actively seeking other opportunities.

For recruiters, it’s crucial to find non-clinical healthcare candidates who are well-suited for such roles, while also addressing employee concerns and desires for greater flexibility and remote work options.

The Cost of High Turnover

The healthcare industry, especially post-COVID-19, is known for its high turnover rates, with nearly 1 in 3 clinical healthcare workers (30.6%) and almost 4 in 10 non-clinical healthcare workers (38.5%) actively looking for another job.

This high turnover, combined with the stress and burnout associated with many healthcare roles, presents a continuous challenge for healthcare recruiters. High turnover can have several repercussions, such as increased labor costs, decreased morale, and compromised patient care.

Some reasons for high turnover in healthcare include:

Heavy workload and demanding schedules
Insufficient compensation packages
Limited growth opportunities within organizations
Workplace conflicts and unsatisfactory management

A Critical Talent Shortage

As the demand for quality healthcare continues to rise, staff shortages have become a significant issue for healthcare organizations. Many professionals within the industry are overwhelmed by long hours, leading to burnout and turnover. This vicious cycle makes it difficult for recruiters to fill gaps created by the departure of these professionals.

The healthcare industry faces a significant talent shortage, with a rapidly aging population in need of care and not enough skilled professionals to provide it. According to data, more than 1 in 3 (33.5%) of clinical healthcare workers are very open to new roles and nearly 4 in 10 (46.3%) are somewhat open.

Similarly, of the 8 in 10 non-clinical healthcare workers open to new roles, 42.0% are very open and 46.1% are somewhat open. This indicates a constant need for recruiters to stay ahead of the talent gap and find qualified healthcare candidates to fill these critical roles.

To overcome the talent shortage in healthcare, your healthcare recruiting team must focus on several key areas:

Developing strong employer branding to attract potential candidates
Leveraging intelligent technology and platforms to expand your candidate pool
Offering competitive compensation and benefits packages that reflect the current market trends
Supporting continuous learning and professional growth opportunities
Fostering positive work environments that encourage collaboration and growth

Balancing Cultural Fit and Skills

The right candidates must not only have the necessary skills and qualifications, but they also need to be the right cultural fit for the organization. This is especially important in healthcare, where a strong team dynamic and collaboration are essential for providing quality patient care.

Recruiting for healthcare positions requires finding candidates with the necessary skills and qualifications and ensuring a good overall fit within the organization’s culture and values.

As previously mentioned, many clinical and non-clinical healthcare workers will leave positions based on poor company culture or lack of trust in leadership. It is imperative for healthcare recruiters to find candidates who will thrive within the organization’s unique environment.

Healthcare recruiting is a complex and demanding process that requires a strategic approach and a thorough understanding of the industry’s pain points. With talent shortages, high turnover rates, and the need for a delicate balance between clinical and non-clinical staff, healthcare recruiters must be equipped with effective strategies to attract and retain top talent. In our next blog, we will dive deeper into the specific pain points of healthcare recruiting and offer practical solutions to overcome these challenges.

From employer branding to compensation packages and fostering positive work environments, we will explore the best practices for healthcare recruiters to successfully navigate the industry’s talent shortage and find the best candidates for their organizations. Join us in our next blog for an in-depth look at healthcare addressing these recruiting pain points with 6 tried and true solutions to tackle those top challenges.

Source: https://www.jobvite.com/blog/high-stakes-healthcare-recruiting/

Unlocking the Future of Hiring: Predictive Analytics in Recruitment

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:36:08 GMT

Recruitment is a critical process that determines the success of any organization. In an increasingly competitive job market, finding the right talent is more challenging than ever. However, with the advent of predictive analytics, the recruitment landscape is undergoing a transformative shift. By harnessing the power of data and advanced analytics, predictive analytics is revolutionizing how organizations attract, identify, and hire top talent. In this blog, we explore the remarkable potential of predictive analytics in recruiting and how it is reshaping the hiring process.

Understanding Predictive Analytics in Recruiting:

Predictive analytics in recruiting involves utilizing historical data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to predict the future success of candidates in specific job roles. By analyzing various data points, such as resumes, social media profiles, past job performance, skills, and assessments, recruiters can gain valuable insights into a candidate's potential fit within an organization.

Key Applications of Predictive Analytics in Recruiting:

Predictive analytics has several key applications that significantly impact the recruitment process:

Candidate Sourcing: Traditional recruitment methods often rely on manual screening of resumes and applications, which can be time-consuming and prone to human bias. Predictive analytics streamlines the sourcing process by utilizing algorithms that identify and rank potential candidates based on their qualifications, skills, and compatibility with the desired job requirements. This approach helps recruiters focus their efforts on candidates with the highest probability of success.
Skill Gap Analysis: Predictive analytics enables recruiters to analyze the skills and competencies required for a particular job role and identify any gaps within their candidate pool. By understanding these gaps, recruiters can develop targeted training programs or modify job descriptions to attract candidates who possess the necessary skills or potential to acquire them.
Candidate Assessment: Traditional interviews and assessments provide limited insights into a candidate's true potential and fit within an organization. Predictive analytics offers a data-driven approach to candidate assessment by analyzing past performance, behavioral patterns, and assessment results. This helps recruiters gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate's abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, leading to better-informed hiring decisions.
Retention and Success Prediction: Predictive analytics can also aid in predicting a candidate's likelihood of long-term success and retention within an organization. By analyzing historical data of successful employees and correlating it with candidate attributes, recruiters can identify patterns that indicate the potential for future success. This information enables organizations to make informed decisions and focus on hiring candidates who align with their long-term goals.

Benefits of Predictive Analytics in Recruiting:

Implementing predictive analytics in recruiting offers numerous benefits to organizations:

Enhanced Hiring Accuracy: Predictive analytics provides recruiters with a more accurate assessment of a candidate's fit for a specific job role. This leads to better-informed hiring decisions, reducing the risk of mismatches and increasing the likelihood of successful hires.
Time and Cost Savings: By automating certain aspects of the recruitment process and utilizing data-driven insights, predictive analytics helps streamline the hiring process, saving time and resources. Recruiters can focus their efforts on candidates with the highest potential, resulting in reduced time-to-hire and lower recruitment costs.
Reduced Bias: Human bias can unconsciously influence the recruitment process, leading to unfair practices and missed opportunities. Predictive analytics helps mitigate bias by objectively assessing candidate qualifications and potential, ensuring a more inclusive and diverse candidate pool.
Improved Retention Rates: By accurately predicting a candidate's potential for success and fit within the organization, predictive analytics can contribute to higher employee retention rates. Hiring candidates who are more likely to thrive in their roles enhances job satisfaction, engagement, and long-term commitment.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations:

While predictive analytics brings significant advantages to the recruitment process, it is crucial to address potential challenges and ethical considerations. Protecting candidate privacy, ensuring data security, and combating algorithmic biases are essential aspects that organizations must prioritize. Transparency in data usage, regular audits of predictive models, and ongoing monitoring can help mitigate these concerns.

The Future of Predictive Analytics in Recruiting:

As technology advances and organizations increasingly embrace data-driven decision-making, the future of predictive analytics in recruiting looks promising. Integration with artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and real-time data analysis will further enhance the accuracy and efficiency of candidate evaluation and selection. Additionally, the growing availability of diverse data sources, such as social media profiles, online portfolios, and professional networks, will provide recruiters with richer insights into a candidate's potential.

Conclusion

Predictive analytics is reshaping the recruitment landscape, empowering organizations to make more informed hiring decisions. By leveraging data and advanced algorithms, recruiters can identify the best candidates, reduce bias, and enhance the overall quality of hires. As predictive analytics continues to evolve, organizations must embrace this transformative approach while ensuring ethical practices and addressing potential challenges. With predictive analytics as a powerful ally, organizations can unlock the potential of top talent and drive success in a competitive job market.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unlocking-future-hiring-predictive-analytics-recruitment-linkus1/

BETTER, CHEAPER CHILDCARE IS ON THE HORIZON IN AUSTRALIA, BUT FOUR KEY CHALLENGES REMAIN

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:35:28 GMT

About 100 early childhood experts are meeting in Canberra today for a national summit on children who are five and under.

This is part of the Albanese government’s work to develop an early years strategy to ensure Australian kids “have the best start at life in their critical early years of development”. It is also the latest in a flurry of activity around early childhood education and care.

The federal government has just set up two major inquiries. Last week it established a Productivity Commission inquiry into early childhood education. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission began its inquiry into the cost of childcare last month.

Meanwhile, states are also making massive commitments. The Victorian and New South Wales governments have made multibillion-dollar promises to expand preschool for three- and four-year-olds. Former prime minister Julia Gillard is leading a royal commission into early education and care in South Australia, with an interim report due in August.

Universal, affordable and high-quality early education for Australian families is on the horizon. But four key challenges remain.

1. WE STILL HAVE ‘CHILDCARE DESERTS’

Access to early childhood education and care is not equal in Australia, and depends on where families live.

Regional and rural families are more likely to have poorer access, and many live in “ childcare deserts ”. In these areas, more than three children vie for every childcare place. About one million Australians live in an area with no access to childcare at all.

It is easier to get a childcare place in high socioeconomic and metropolitan areas, suggesting access is not equitable. We need to address this, as research in Australia and overseas highlights the importance of early education and care for children’s social and cognitive development, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds .

2. CHILDCARE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE

In recent years, the Coalition government injected significant funds into childcare subsidies. But the cost of early childhood services remains a key issue for many families.

The Albanese government will increase the subsidy again , as of July 2023. This will ease some of the financial strain.

However, subsidy changes provide only temporary relief, as childcare costs often rise again. The Labor government has also said it will investigate the feasibility of a 90% subsidy regardless of income, although it is not clear how this will occur or how it will be funded.

3. WORK REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT WORKING

A 2022 Impact Economics report showed how the government’s “ activity test ” is a major barrier to parents working.

Under the current test, families need to do certain amounts of paid work, such as study, training, volunteering or care, to receive certain hours of childcare subsidies. For example, parents doing less than eight hours of work a fortnight only get 24 hours of subsidised care for the same period. Those doing 48 hours of work get 100 hours of subsidised care.

If there are two parents in a family, the activity test is based on the parent who works the least.

Impact Economics found the activity test was not encouraging people to work. Rather, it found low-income families were less likely to use childcare because of the restriction to hours of care. So the activity test can lock children from disadvantaged backgrounds out of early learning, despite being the group that would benefit the most .

4. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS ARE OVERWORKED & NOT PAID ENOUGH

There are also major challenges around retention, pay and professional work conditions for the early education sector.

A 2021 survey by the United Workers Union showed that 73% of educators envisaged leaving the early childhood sector by 2024. Excessive workloads and low pay were the two main reasons cited by more than 4,000 current and former educators who participated in the research.

Job vacancy rates are at historically high levels and the lack of qualified staff is a major restraint on increasing access to childcare services. To enhance efforts to attract and retain staff, educators are calling for a pay increase of between 13% and 30% over the next four years.

The Australian Education Union is also negotiating for other changes to the early childhood profession, such as increased participation in professional development and changes to the structure of education and training.

THE GOOD NEWS … & THE REALITY CHECK

A noticeable feature of the Albanese government’s approach to early learning is a greater emphasis on children’s development and wellbeing.

The summit has an explicit focus on making sure children are “thriving”. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth has stressed how the most significant stages of brain development happen before children turn five.

By getting it right in the early years of a child’s life, we can help set the foundations for a happy, healthy, and successful future.

This marks a shift in government language, which previously talked about childcare in terms of boosting female workforce participation .

Nevertheless, huge challenges remain in the sector. Addressing them will be a major task for the government if is going to progress beyond summits and strategies to deliver real change.

Source: https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/better-cheaper-childcare-is-on-the-horizon-in-australia-but-four-key-challenges-remain

Understanding the Toll of Compassion Fatigue on Workplaces

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:34:06 GMT

Compassion is a vital emotion in a professional setting, helping to build and strengthen team relationships and business collaboration worldwide. However, the physical and emotional strain of consistently supporting colleagues can be taxing, especially amidst the various challenges facing the UK economy.

In this article, I’ll explore the repercussions of compassion fatigue in the workplace and offer insights into how businesses can provide the necessary support to help their employees avoid growing feelings of fatigue and helplessness.

What is compassion fatigue?

The term “compassion fatigue” was first introduced in 1992 , in the realm of medical professionals. It described the adverse health effects and deteriorating patient outcomes resulting from healthcare workers’ excessive exposure to trauma.

However, its scope has broadened to include individuals in various challenging roles beyond the medical field.

Compassion fatigue can affect anyone whose job-related stressors and triggers permeate their daily thoughts, mood, and overall well-being. Some individuals describe the feeling of becoming so saturated with distressing scenes that a psychic numbing can occur.

Several additional factors contribute to compassion fatigue, including the ongoing strain of the cost-of-living crisis, the uncertainty stemming from global conflicts, and the constant presence of social media in our lives.

How does it physically and emotionally affect individuals?

Compassion fatigue can have both a physical and emotional impact on individuals. Firstly, acts of caring and feeling decrease, and these are substituted by an outward detachedness. Individuals become more task, and less emotion, focused, and may start to isolate themselves, engaging less with their colleagues and teams.

In the short term, compassion fatigue can manifest as various physical health issues, including headaches, migraines, as well as gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Over the long term, it heightens the risk of developing cardiovascular problems, obesity, and diabetes.

Mood swings, ranging from moderate to severe, become commonplace, disrupting an individual’s ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, and sustain a sense of hope. All these factors combined can contribute to the emergence of stress-related mental health concerns, like anxiety or depression.

How does it impact workplaces?

In the absence of supportive measures from leadership, the repercussions of compassion fatigue in workplaces could be significant. Firstly, many experiencing the condition struggle with unmanageable negative emotions, like anger, irritability, and reduced tolerance.

These often lead to interpersonal challenges, making it difficult for employees to maintain positive relationships with their colleagues and fostering a sense of disconnection from their workplaces. Cognitive functions like clear thinking, sound judgment, and effective decision-making may be compromised, affecting the ability to focus on tasks.

Work behaviors and routines may become increasingly erratic. Some employees may exhibit increased absenteeism, take more sick days, or spend less time in the office. In contrast, others might invest extra hours working to catch up, or they may carry work home as they struggle to concentrate and find themselves less productive during regular office hours.

Supporting employees in times of need

A crucial step in addressing compassion fatigue is to implement training programs that acknowledge and address the emotional toll of work roles. Consider inviting mental health experts to run in-house employee seminars, which delve into topics like stress responses, emotional resilience, and self-compassion.

This approach welcomes discussions about emotional well-being and makes them an expected part of the workplace culture.

Leaders should also scrutinize and eliminate behaviors that may exacerbate employee anxiety or stress. For instance, if bosses respond to emails at 10:00 p.m., an unwritten expectation may emerge that others should follow suit.

Encouraging leaders to remove work emails from their phones and endorsing similar practices within their teams can help establish consistent, much-needed cutoff times for work-related activities.

Highlight the value of breaks during the workday, emphasizing the importance of self-care activities like taking a refreshing outdoor walk and enjoying a proper lunch break instead of hastily eating at your desk.

These seemingly minor adjustments encourage employees to recharge, prioritize self-care, and shift their focus away from factors that contribute to negative behaviors.

Research indicates that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is highly effective in treating compassion fatigue, as chronic exposure to suffering can influence negative thought patterns.

Employers may want to consider incorporating emotional well-being support, like CBT, into their employee benefits packages to assist those already grappling with emotional wellbeing challenges.

CBT therapists can also help employees recognize lapses in self-care and boundary setting, enabling them to understand and respond to their symptoms or experiences differently over time. This can significantly enhance their overall well-being and quality of life.

The good news is that there are practical measures you can employ to tackle compassion fatigue, both for yourself and your team, to rekindle emotional well-being within the realm of work.

For many, compassion fatigue is a transitory phase, a clear sign that your body and mind are desperate for a recharge and a healthier work-life balance. When businesses heed these signals and respond accordingly, they can help employees rebuild enthusiasm for their work and, most importantly, their capacity to reconnect with others.

By Marc Holl, Head of Primary Care, Nuffield Health .

Source: https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/compassion-fatigue-workplaces/

What Is an HRIS? Learn the Top Benefits and How to Choose the Right One

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:34:05 GMT

HR managers are burned out . The pandemic introduced a whole host of new and shifting responsibilities for HR, including feeling like they need to be “on call” all the time and recruiting in a job market that’s constantly changing. In addition to this complexity and stress, 73% of HR professionals say they don’t have what they need to perform their jobs well.

Fortunately, human resources information systems (HRIS) are here to help. An HRIS helps companies track, organize, and report on important data about their employees across key HR functions, including:

Hiring and onboarding
Payroll, benefits administration, and time off
Performance management
Professional development
Employee engagement

An HRIS isn’t just for HR. Finance, accounting, and operations teams also benefit from the real-time data and reporting capabilities in an HRIS.

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about HRIS:

What an HRIS does
Which organizations need it
How to choose the right one
How to use it to make more informed decisions about your company’s most valuable asset—your people

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use HRIS, BambooHR has you covered. It helps you take care of everything from hire to retire with powerful automation, intuitive tools, and comprehensive reporting.

What Does HRIS Stand For?

HRIS stands for human resources information system or human resource information software—both are accepted uses. Human resources teams use an HRIS to manage, store, organize, and track employee and organizational information, helping them reduce their reliance on paper files, work more efficiently, and make more data-driven decisions.

HRIS Meaning: What’s an HRIS & What Makes It Useful for the Whole Company?

An HRIS is a people database that can help your company track, organize, and manage important details about employees, including:

Name and contact information
Demographics (e.g., birth date, gender, and employee number)
Job information like manager, department, and work status (e.g., full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
Benefits selections and compensation
Time-off balances and requests

The power of HRIS systems is that they provide a single source of accurate data about everyone across the organization. HRIS features vary widely, but the most common ones include:

Employee database and directory
Payroll and benefits administration
Recruiting and hiring
Employee onboarding
Time, attendance, and time off
Employee self-service

Not all HRIS systems are created equally, though. There are many flavors on the HRIS spectrum to choose from, depending on your company needs, data complexity, and growth goals.

More advanced HRIS systems go beyond basic data tracking and provide reporting capabilities that empower HR teams to understand and strategically shape the employee experience.

For example, BambooHR provides actionable analytics to help businesses surface key trends, make data-informed decisions, and build people-focused strategies. BambooHR also offers capabilities that reduce manual processes and create a smooth experience for employees and HR teams alike, including:

Applicant tracking system (ATS) : Find and hire the right candidate for the job with all resumes in one place, automatic rankings, and keyword searches.
Employee self-onboarding : Send new hires onboarding tasks to complete at their own pace for a better first day.
Electronic signatures : Make it simple for your employees to fill out paperwork and easy for your HR team to digitally track and store completed documents.
Performance management : Gather feedback from and about your team members to help them excel in their roles and grow their careers.

Free Resource: The HRIS Buyer's Guide

Choosing an HRIS is a big decision. To help, here’s an in-depth guide that gives you a comprehensive overview of all-in-one HRIS—plus tips on how to choose the right HRIS for your organization.

Download Now

HRIS, HRIS System, HRIS Software, and HRM Software: What's the Difference?

There are many terms for HRIS—including HRIS System, HRIS Software, and HRM Software—but ultimately, these terms are synonymous.

7 Key Benefits of an HRIS

1. Your payroll will be more accurate.

With all employee data living in one centralized place, choosing an HRIS with built-in payroll functionality can increase accuracy and compliance, save time, and reduce the risk of errors. Integrated payroll can benefit organizations of any size, but this is especially critical for larger organizations with complex payroll processes and regulations to follow.

2. Your data will be accessible.

With an HRIS, you’ll never again have to comb through filing cabinets and spreadsheets, and you can skip manually entering data in multiple systems. All employee data is stored in one database, so every piece of information you need can be easily collected, tracked, updated, and searched in seconds.

3. You won’t have to worry about staying compliant.

A good HRIS vendor will stay on top of regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that impact HR teams. This helps organizations easily and confidently meet compliance requirements.

4. You’ll save a lot of time.

Even manual, time-consuming HR tasks can be quick and simple with an HRIS. For instance, employees take an average of three unreported PTO days each year. This might not seem like a big deal, but with an average salary of $22.12 per hour, three unreported PTO days quickly racks up to $530.88 per year per employee.

An HRIS makes it a lot easier for employees to stick to the PTO process—with employee self-service, employees can check their PTO balance, and they don’t have to hand any kind of physical paperwork to their manager. The HRIS routes the request, and the manager reviews and approves PTO in the system.

5. You’ll have space to be more strategic.

With fewer manual operational tasks to manage, you can spend your valuable skills and time on strategic HR initiatives that deeply benefit the business, like improving employee retention, increasing team productivity, and shaping your company culture .

6. Your employees will have a better experience.

Whether it’s an effective and enjoyable onboarding process , a rock-solid performance review cycle with documented feedback, or easy time-off requests, a smooth interaction with your company’s HRIS can improve your employees’ overall experience.

7. Your reporting will be more impactful.

As you report on HR performance to your leadership team, an HRIS can help you pull data that aligns your efforts with business goals and objectives. Sharing accurate, timely data from across your organization—including key metrics like employee engagement and retention rates—can help executives get more bought into HR initiatives and make better strategic decisions.

Powerful data insights are only a click away.

With BambooHR, you can manage and report on your sensitive people data with an organized, secure database—no technical experience required.

Get a Free Demo Today!

How to Choose an HRIS

Choosing the right HRIS can feel like a daunting task. There are countless options, each with their own unique features and benefits.

To make sure an HRIS meets your organization’s needs both now and in the future, we recommend focusing on three key areas: your company’s growth trajectory, how your HRIS will fit in with other business tools, and how you’ll get the most out of your HRIS.

1. Consider your growth trajectory.

Your employee count is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting an HRIS. Different HRIS systems are designed to accommodate different company sizes, and it’s important to choose one that can meet your needs both now and where you’re looking to grow in the future.

Small businesses: You may only need a basic HRIS for things like managing employee data, time-off requests, and basic payroll functions. These more basic systems tend to be relatively low cost and simple to use, whether you have a formal HR team or not.
Larger organizations: If you have hundreds or thousands of employees, you’ll need an HRIS that can handle more complex HR functions like benefits administration, compliance tracking, and performance management. These more complex systems tend to be a higher financial investment, but they’ll offer flexibility and customization options based on your organization’s unique needs as you scale.
Future growth: If you anticipate significant hiring in the near future, it may be worth investing in a more robust HRIS now to ensure that you don’t outpace your system too quickly.
International workforce: Another important consideration is the ability of your HRIS to handle employees in different countries. If you have plans for international expansion, you’ll want an HRIS that can accommodate different languages, currencies, and compliance requirements. Look for systems that have experience working with global organizations and can provide the support and expertise you need to manage your international workforce.

2. Understand how your HRIS will integrate with your tech stack.

When choosing an HRIS, it’s important to understand which other business tools will need to send or receive data from the system.

Here are some questions to start thinking about:

Which existing tools will be replaced by your HRIS?
Which other teams will be relying on data from the HRIS?
What does the technical integration process look like?
What kind of integration support will you receive from the vendor?

Integrations can vary widely depending on each HRIS and your organization’s unique needs. Some vendors offer pre-built integrations with popular HR systems, such as payroll software or benefits administration platforms. Others may require custom integrations, which can be more time-consuming and expensive.

Look for vendors who offer dedicated support teams and a clear, step-by-step integration process.

3. Start building roll-out plans to increase adoption.

Deciding on an HRIS is an important and often expensive decision, but the rewards and ROI of committing to the new system will far outweigh the initial setup and adjustment pains.

Here are a few suggestions for how to get the most out of your new system:

Build a plan to get all of your data migrated, taking into account needs across different teams in your organization.
Define, communicate, and settle into new processes. Don’t forget to share the plan and report on progress with your employees and leadership team!
Design a roll-out plan, complete with training to make it easier for your team to get onboarded and familiar with the HRIS capabilities and expectations.
Lean on your HRIS vendor. They’re your partner in this endeavor and should deeply understand and care about HR challenges to help you reach your goals .

What Is the Best HRM Software?

BambooHR is widely recognized as the best HRM software on the market with an intuitive, cloud-based platform that simplifies HR processes like employee data management and reporting, time-off request tracking, payroll and benefits administration, and hiring and onboarding.

BambooHR has received numerous awards for its customer satisfaction and innovative approach to HR management. TrustRadius, a leading review platform for B2B technology, has included BambooHR in the Top Rated Awards for HR Management Software multiple years in a row.

BambooHR is also recognized by G2 as a leader in the HR Management software category, receiving high customer praise for ease of use, reliability, and overall customer experience.

Next Steps: Find the Right HRIS for Your Business

Choosing an HRIS is a task that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The right system can help solve your organization’s biggest problems and set your HR team free to make a massive, strategic impact on your organization.

If you have any questions during your HRIS research, including whether or not an HRIS is the best option for your organization, we’re here to help—talk with our team of experts and get a demo of BambooHR today!

Source: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/what-is-an-hris

Identifying as a person with disability in the workplace

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:33:59 GMT

1. Overview

This guide provides information on:

whether a person has an obligation to share information about their disability with an employer or potential employer
why a person may not want to share information about their disability with their employer or potential employer
why a person may want to share information about their disability with their employer or potential employer
why an employer may ask employees about disability
the questions an employer can and cannot ask about a person’s disability
requesting reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

2. Do you have an obligation to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer?

The nature of disability is deeply personal and people with disability are diverse. The decision to identify as a person with disability can be difficult and, in most circumstances, you do not have an obligation to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer. Information about your disability is private and the decision to tell others is up to you.

However, if you are applying for a job and your disability means that you are unable to carry out the inherent requirements of the job without reasonable adjustments being made to accommodate your disability, then you should tell the employer. For example, if the job requires heavy lifting and you suffer from chronic back pain, you should let the employer know that you have a disability so they can consider ways to support you or customise certain requirements of the role.

You can find further information on job customisation in the IncludeAbility guide on Customising a job for a person with disability.

If an employer terminated an employee’s position because they could not perform the inherent requirements of the role, even if reasonable adjustments were made, this would not constitute unlawful discrimination. [1]

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) does not define ‘inherent requirements’ but it can be broadly understood as something essential to the position.

Section 21A(2) of the DDA provides that in assessing whether a person is able to carry out the inherent requirements of a particular role or job, the following criteria are to be considered:

the person’s past training, qualifications and experience relevant to the particular employment
the person’s performance as an employee
any other factor that it is reasonable to take into account.

3. Why you may not want to share information about your disability

There are a number of reasons you may not wish to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer:

your disability may not affect your ability to do your job
you may not require any support or adjustments to your job, workload or schedule at the moment
you may be worried about potential discrimination, harassment or reduced opportunities for career progression
your disability may be temporary or episodic but you may feel any associated stigma would be ongoing
you might already have good support networks outside the workplace and feel there is not much to gain by talking about your condition.

4. Why you may want to share information about your disability

While sharing information about your disability is a completely personal decision, some reasons you may wish to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer are outlined below.

(a) You may require reasonable adjustments

Employers must, subject to some exceptions, provide reasonable adjustments to allow people with disability to work productively and safely. See Section 7 for examples of reasonable adjustments.

(b) You are applying for a new role

If you are applying for a new role you may wish to let the employer know you have a disability to ensure reasonable adjustments are provided in the interview and recruitment process.

It may also be helpful to have this conversation with a potential employer so that if you are the successful candidate, you can have a discussion about reasonable workplace adjustments more easily.

Some forms of disability can progress over time. Alternatively, you may acquire a disability while you are employed. If you have a disability of this nature you may wish to share this with your employer so that you can arrange appropriate adjustments and support.

(d) Something may have changed in the work or workplace

The tasks involved in your role, the accessibility of the building you work in, or something else may have changed at work which now means you require additional support or adjustments.

(e) You might prefer to be open about your disability

Some people choose to be open about their disability. This could be because they have a visible disability or to help promote positive attitudes and inclusion within the workplace.

Tip

If you have decided to share information about your disability with your employer and are feeling anxious, or would like additional support, you can ask a colleague or friend to attend the meeting with you.

Keep in mind, 4.4 million Australians identify as having a disability. The person you are speaking to about disability or contemplating speaking to about disability may have a disability themselves, or a close friend or family member with disability.

5. Why an employer might ask you about disability

An employer may also directly ask you if you identify as a person with disability in the same way that they ask about other diversity characteristics (for example, age, gender and ethnicity). This question may arise in a number of ways, such as:

on a form or in an interview during the recruitment stage
in a yearly employee satisfaction survey
during a wellbeing or performance review with your manager.

An employer may ask whether you have a disability:

so they can better understand the demographics and diversity of their workforce
to ensure they are providing a safe and inclusive workplace for all of their employees.

Data on an organisation’s workforce can provide important direction to, and support for, its diversity and inclusion strategies. For instance, an employer’s strategy may include the following goals:

to increase the representation of senior leaders with disability
to provide targeted graduate programs for employees with disability
to develop an affirmative recruitment policy.

Collecting data on the proportion of the workforce that identify as having a disability allows an organisation to measure its progress and refine its approach.

An employer may also wish to know whether you have a disability in order to provide you with reasonable workplace adjustments so that you are supported, productive and feel safe in your workplace.

Tip

There is no obligation to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer.

If you have been with your employer for some time and telling them about your disability will be new information for them, it may be helpful to explain why you are sharing this with them now and not previously.

For example:

your disability has recently changed, and it is only now that it is affecting your work
your work has changed and you feel like it is the right time to ask for some support to do your job
you have only just become comfortable talking about your disability.

You should pick a time and place where you feel most at ease to have this conversation. For example, you might like to arrange a casual catch-up meeting with your manager over a coffee, or share this information in a periodic review with a human resources representative.

Case study

Building trusting and respectful relationships with colleagues

“I have a spinal cord injury from a rugby accident when I was 16 years old. Most people focus on my wheelchair when they think of my disability but don’t realise that a spinal cord injury has significant physiological implications, and has also affected my hand function.

In time, I have often volunteered to explain aspects of my disability to people I work with. I generally do this when I’m alone with them and there is some context for needing to explain my disability. Communication is critical in an employment relationship. Having employed or worked with other people with disability, I’ve learnt that everyone’s lived experience of disability is different, but that people will invariably be respectful of any information provided. I’ve often been pleasantly surprised when the person I’m speaking with reveals they have lived experience of disability too.”

Dr Ben Gauntlett,
Former Disability Discrimination Commissioner & Chair of the IncludeAbility Employer Network

6. What questions can your employer ask you?

In the context of assessing your ability to perform a job, it is unlawful for an employer to ask you anything relating to personal attributes like sex, age or disability, if those questions are unrelated to the position you are applying for. [2]

If you do decide you want to share information about your disability with your employer or potential employer, it is helpful to understand what they can, and cannot, ask you about.

The following questions have been adapted from the JobAccess ‘Interviewing People with Disability’ guide. [3]

7. Requesting reasonable adjustments in the workplace

To help you do your job you may need to ask for some adjustments or modifications.

The DDA refers to these as reasonable adjustments . [4] Some employers may also refer to them as reasonable accommodations or workplace adjustments.

Many employers will ask whether you require any adjustments as a matter of course during the job application or interview process. This is to ensure that you are provided with the right support to apply for the job, move through the recruitment process and, if you are successful in securing the role, to help set you up for success in your new job.

Reasonable adjustments are best understood as changes to the work environment that allow people with disability to work safely, productively and on the same basis as others without a disability. [5]

Reasonable adjustments in the workplace could include:

changes to the interview and application process (for example, asking for a one-on-one interview if you find you get anxious in big groups and you know that the recruitment process includes a group interview)
flexible work arrangements (for example, flexible start or finish times, or remote access)
job customisation (for example, altering range of duties or procedural changes to tasks)
training (for example, receiving some one-to-one assistance on how to use online tools or platforms)
providing essential information in suitable formats (for example, braille, easy-read versions, audio transcriptions)
equipment modification, specialised equipment, furniture or work-related aids (for example, screen reader technology, headphones, adjustable desks)
alterations to premises or work areas (for example, widening paths, doorways, visual and auditory emergency warnings).

Support at work can also include information sessions or disability awareness training for your manager, team and colleagues.

Case study

Reasonable adjustments

Jo is a young woman who is Deaf. Jo uses Auslan to communicate.

Jo recently applied for an administration role in a busy legal team with a large corporate employer.

At the interview, Jo asked for an Auslan interpreter to be arranged so she could participate in the interview.

The employer was impressed with Jo’s previous experience and offered her the role. They asked her what support she needed to do the job and ensured this was in place before her first day.

Jo indicated the things that would help her at work would be:

A mirror on her desk so she could see people approaching her from behind.
A portable flashing fire alarm that she could move with her around the office in the case of an emergency.
Access to an Auslan interpreter for team meetings and other critical meetings where she did not want to miss out on key information.
Deaf awareness training for her team and the people around her on her floor at work.

During the training, Jo’s team learned some basic Auslan signs like ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’. This created a welcoming environment and helped Jo settle into the team.

Jo has now been successfully working in her role for over five years, and is a valued member of her team. She feels welcome and included in all aspects of her workplace.

The support Jo needed to secure and carry out her role was minimal and low cost. Most of the supports that Jo uses in the workplace are funded through the federal government’s Employee Assistance Fund.

Source: https://includeability.gov.au/resources-people-disability/identifying-person-disability-workplace

The Most Useful Job Boards for Candidates

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:33:57 GMT

You’re looking for a new job, so the best place to turn is to the biggest and most popular job posting sites, right? Maybe not. Employers don’t always turn to the major job posting sites. It pays to know what type of employer is likely to post on what job sites.

The Major Players

When it comes to general job searching, Monster , Careerbuilder , and Indeed definitely run the game. However, just because a site is large and popular doesn’t mean employers choose to use them. Here’s how some of the biggest job posting companies stack up against each other in the employer’s eyes.

Both Indeed and Monster produce more candidates that do not have any college education than Careerbuilder. Careerbuilder also features more candidates that have college degrees, some from an accredited online college. Indeed and Monster both cater to teenagers, temporary job seekers, those with only high school education, and those who are fresh out of college, while Careerbuilder does not include these candidates.

Indeed is the most all-inclusive job posting board. It includes contract positions, work-at-home jobs, summer jobs, and even volunteer work. Employers offering any of these types of positions are more likely to use Indeed. Monster produces fewer candidates without a college education and more with degrees than Indeed, although Careerbuilder still has the others beat in this aspect.

Which is Best?

What it all boils down to is the type of job being posted. Employers posting more serious positions that require qualified candidates often choose to use Careerbuilder. Although Careerbuilder is more expensive for employers, it also weeds out some of the less serious applicants. High-scale employers don’t want to be bombarded with applications from unqualified candidates.

Employers hiring for entry-level positions are likely to use Monster because Monster receives more traffic than Indeed and lets employers filter and manage applications. Of all the sites, Indeed is the cheapest for employers to use and allows for unlimited posts, so companies who have a high turnaround rate for employees are more likely to use Indeed.

Specialized Job Boards

Employers that are hiring sometimes use specialized job boards before they resort to posting the job on major job boards. This is because, on small-scale sites, they’re more likely to pull in qualified candidates with experience and true interest in the field of work, while on major sites, thousands of candidates are likely to apply to every job available. Here are some example specialized job boards employers favor:

Dice is a very popular job posting site for tech positions like tech developers, engineers, programmers, and tech writers.
City Jobs and eFinancial Careers focus on jobs in the finance and banking industries.
Variety Careers posts media jobs like television, radio, production, gaming, music, and more.
Adzuna is a popular place for post-marketing and advertising jobs including the design and creative aspects.
Health E Careers and Nurse post jobs in the medical field from physicians, nursing, pharmaceutical, and more.
Law Jobs posts attorney, paralegal, and other legal jobs.
PR Week Jobs posts everything public relations.
Guardian Jobs and Craig’s List are popular for creative job postings like graphic design, writing, etc.

While specialized jobs can be found on major job posting sites, employers favor these sites that produce the best candidates.

Social Networking

Many companies also turn to social networking sites when looking for new employees. LinkedIn is one of the most popular social networking sites employers and recruiters love to use. With LinkedIn, employers can build a network of professionals who they can turn to for references and recommendations. They can also search for candidates based on their current and past employers. Not to mention, with thousands of people readily posting their resumes, LinkedIn is a goldmine for recruiting.

Employers also consider Facebook and Twitter when recruiting . It’s not uncommon for an employer to check up on an individual’s social profiles before hiring, and many applicants have been turned down because of crude language, inappropriate pictures, and displays of partying, drinking, or using drugs.

How to Go About Job Searching

If you’re looking for a job, it’s a good idea to go ahead and post your resume to the major job boards, if only because you’ll receive plenty of exposure. But if you really want to land a great gig, be sure to post your resume and apply for jobs on boards that are specific to your field of work. Remember to use customized resumes for every position, and a strong general resume for the job board database.

To give yourself a real edge, create a LinkedIn profile, and start networking with others in your field of work. Be sure to monitor your social networking activity and remember anything you post remains online forever. With a strong social presence and your resume submitted on the right job boards, you’ll be on your way to a great career.

Source: https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/job-boards-useful-jobseekers/

Evolving Your Hiring Approach in a Tight Labor Market

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:14:07 GMT

It’s no secret the tight labor market continues to impact organizations in the United States and internationally. The Great Resignation is in the rearview mirror. However, the job market in North America and other places worldwide hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic conditions.

Sure, there are more employed workers than unemployed workers in several job sectors today — meaning the labor force participation rate remains fairly stout. (Particularly in the U.S.)

However, the Federal Reserve’s raising of interest rates has led many companies — from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies — to hold off on filling job openings (and even pull them from their career sites and job boards) until lingering economic uncertainty clears up.

So, what should employers and their human resources and talent acquisition teams make of this ongoing ambiguity around labor market tightness ? As Red Branch Media Founder and CEO Maren Hogan and Employ SVP People & Talent Corey Berkey shared on our recent webinar, C-suites and TA/HR leaders should simply continue to keep a close eye on industry trends.

Specifically, data that reveals how other employers are navigating this period of disruption so they can get ideas and inspiration for their own recruiting and hiring efforts.

Recruiters “feeling the pinch” — and burning out — in the ongoing tight labor market

As we enter 2024, labor demand is high (and growing), while labor supply varies from one industry to the next. Early retirements continue to hit executive teams at large-scale businesses. And the unemployment rate in the U.S. remains near lows seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In short, there are a lot of mixed signals in the continually tight labor market and economy.

As Corey explained in the webinar, this has not only affected execs’ near- and long-term workforce planning, but also recruiters’ level of anxiety and unease. “There’s now this added stress of not only ‘I’ve got a lot of reqs, my skills are in demand, and my business needs me to be able to perform,’ but also that performance pressure gets accelerated in the world we’re living in today because … there’s less people to manage those reqs,” said Corey.

Layer on top of that what recruiting professionals are seeing in the tight labor market today (high employee turnover rates, worker displacement due to ever-changing business dynamics and needs), and there’s clearly a palpable volatility inside the recruiting space , Corey added.

“All that really compounds that stress [for talent acquisition teams],” per Corey.

Increasing salary bands one way employers better compete for talent in tight labor market

On top of dealing with mounting pressure, Corey said recruiters also have to deal with budgetary constraints decided on by leadership as it relates to both their talent team budget (i.e., getting the tech tools and recruitment marketing dollars they need to succeed) and the salary levels they’re able to offer candidates of interest toward the end of each hiring cycle.

“[Cuts] play out across the entire business,” said Corey. “But, TA feels that burden, because they’re trying to negotiate to these accepted offers. They’re trying to drive the business forward. But, they’re trying to do with less and less resources and less salary dollars.”

Despite getting seemingly not-as-competitive salary bands for many roles, some recruiters are working more closely with their C-suites to secure more money to offer candidates .

Maren stated in the webinar how — per the 2023 Recruiter Nation Report — 40% of talent acquisition teams are working to expand the salaries they can present to job prospects today and will continue to do so in 2024. “Candidates are kind of used to getting what they want,” said Maren. “They got a good, solid 18 months there [of having a candidate-centric market]. And now, they’re kind of not backing down from some of those needs, desires, and demands.”

This, in turn, makes it much harder for recruiting orgs to fill vacant roles with high-quality candidates at all, let alone in a timely and efficient manner, Maren added.

To prevent their recruiters from having to be the “intermediaries” regarding salary discussions with prospective hires, Maren said it’s vital for C-suites to ask themselves how they can “strike a balance between sort of rigid corporate budgets and the salary expectations of candidates.”

“Strategic leaning” toward RPOs growing rapidly, as employers combat labor market tightness

Aside from discussing the emotional impact the tight labor market has had on recruiters, Corey and Maren touched on what employers at large are doing to compete for talent and ensure they keep their talent pools filled with many relevant, qualified candidates.

One way a number of companies are doing this?

Turning to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) service providers that can tackle numerous talent acquisition tasks and address niche hiring needs businesses’ in-house recruiting orgs simply don’t have the time or expertise to tackle.

The 2023 Recruiter Nation Report revealed how 30% of HR and TA leaders said their orgs currently use RPO firms to help with their hiring efforts — an 11-point increase from 2022. Investment in RPOs is “a recognition that TA has matured into a distinct specialty, and orgs are harvesting specialized fields from external providers” to fill key roles, said Maren.

There are certainly other ways employers are coping with the tight labor market and ensuring they can realize their desired level of headcount growth , our research found. For instance:

42% of businesses are optimizing recruiting processes to accelerate hiring
34% are using AI tools to augment their day-to-day talent acquisition tasks
30% are onboarding more advanced TA tech, like applicant tracking systems (ATS)

The combination of these hiring strategy adjustments and factoring in the needs of their own businesses is what will set talent teams up for success in 2024 and beyond, per Corey.

“Leaders across the globe are going to get handed a req list on January 1 and say, ‘Hey, the budgets approved — go get ’em,” said Corey. “And we’ve got to make sure that we’re able to be scalable with hiring and leverage all these [recruiting] modes as we navigate the labor market.”

Discover how our complete ATS + CRM solution can help your org execute and optimize your talent acquisition strategy and enhance your hiring efforts amid tight market conditions.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Source: https://www.lever.co/blog/tight-labor-market/

Emotional Intelligence in Children

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:06:00 GMT

Generations of children have been taught to shake it off, brush the dirt off the skinned knees, wipe the tears, and carry on. They’re building grit and resilience , but also a tacit understanding that one doesn’t express "big feelings." Early childhood specialist Alyssa Blask Campbell was one such child, but now, as an educator, emotional development expert, and mother, she’s taking a new perspective on caregiving , one that starts with encouraging the expression of feelings—big and small—rather than tucking them away. Here is our conversation about her new book and her thoughtful approach.

Lynne: I love the title of your book, Tiny Humans, Big Emotions: How to Navigate Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Defiance to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children. It implies that this may be a book for caregivers of young children, but you’ve noted that the research and information within is for all humans.

Alyssa: I don’t know about you, but I didn’t grow up with a lot of these tools. I have incredible parents who did a great job with the tools they had, and I didn’t learn how my nervous system works or how to notice what emotions felt like in my body and how to regulate them. The cornerstone of this work lies in the work of the adult. You could be the parent of a toddler or teenager and the method still applies. It’s aimed at better understanding ourselves and the human we are interacting with, be it your child, your partner, or a friend.

Lynne: You’ve developed a method of interaction. What’s your elevator pitch for explaining this approach to raising and becoming emotionally intelligent humans?

Alyssa: The key to raising emotionally intelligent humans is building our toolbox as adults, not to change children. Instead, to change how we experience them so we can respond with intention rather than habit from intergenerational patterns.

Lynne: Tell us more about your method.

Alyssa: The Collaborative Emotion Processing method is a way of understanding and processing emotions in relationship with one another. There are five components of the method: scientific knowledge, self-awareness, bias , self-care, and adult–child interactions. You'll notice that four of the five components are focused on the adult. This is what sets our method apart from other parenting approaches or emotional development strategies. The goal isn't to change children but to give the adult the tools they need to show up with intention in the moment so they have the bandwidth to meet the needs of the child who is in front of them.

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Lynne: You say that parenting should be “ shame -free.” Why do you think shame is such a factor in parenting, and what do you do to help caregivers/parents move beyond it?

Alyssa: We know that shame prevents us from learning new skills or creating positive change. A lot of us grew up in shame-ridden cultures to try and stop behavior from happening—for example, putting a child in a public time out in front of siblings/peers to teach them a lesson. The result is now a generation of parents who live with a lot of shame and are still learning how to navigate their own shame so they don’t repeat those patterns. We help parents and caregivers get beyond the shame to see what the root of behavior is so they can move through behavior with connection and collaboration .

Lynne: What do you see as the biggest hurdles parents face when trying to raise emotionally intelligent children?

Alyssa: Lack of cultural and systemic support. Parents are logistically spread in so many different directions that it makes it really difficult to do this work of rewriting intergenerational patterns, to show up with intention.

Lynne: There is an ever-growing list of parenting styles—helicopter, snowplow, authoritative—that are less than complimentary. Do you subscribe to this categorization of parenting?

Alyssa: I don’t think it’s helpful. I’m less interested in creating in-group/out-group parenting identities and more interested in helping everyone understand themselves and their children to learn the “why” behind the styles of parenting they feel drawn to.

Lynne: As a parent, what do you do for yourself to help you stay present?

Alyssa: This is so tough in our ever-connected world full of urgency, where we are to be reachable at all times, but I’m most present when my phone is truly away—when we head out on our family walk and I leave it at home or when we are playing in the living room and I plug it in in the kitchen. It’s meant less in-the-moment pictures but more in-the-moment connection.

Lynne: What do you hope readers will take away from Tiny Humans, Big Emotions?

Alyssa: I hope they are able to have a deeper, more loving understanding of themselves and their kids. That they can learn how their nervous system works and learn how their unique children’s nervous systems work and how to connect within that. It’s like love languages, where some of us crave certain types of connection and regulation, and sometimes the one we crave is different from the one our child craves. When we have that deeper understanding, then we can connect in more meaningful ways.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/field-guide-to-families/202310/emotional-intelligence-in-children

10 Tips to Improve HR Communication with Software

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 02:30:24 GMT

Improving HR Communication in the Workplace

HR communication is all about how businesses engage with their employees. In this blog we will give you some tips on how to improve HR communication in your workplace and get more from your people. We'll even give you the lowdown on how HR communication software is used by the world's top businesses to improve communication and productivity. We're experts on HR communication, it's our bread and butter. For years we've worked with HR experts from around the world and have experienced first hand the biggest reasons as to why many companies fall short when it comes to HR comms. We know that in order for people to thrive, operate effectively and manage employee satisfaction, communication is an imperative. When encouraged to communicate up and down the chain within a company, employees can experience an increase in morale, productivity and commitment.

HR communication is related to employee training, benefits, wages and any other company news. All of this information helps the workforce succeed, but often the bridge connecting employees to leadership is broken. According to Gallup, 74% of employees feel that they're missing out on company information and news and other research suggests that a massive 72% of employees don't have a full understanding of the company's strategy.

So, how do you ensure a strong communication loop is maintained between both HR and employees?

Top 10 Tips on How to Improve HR Communication in the Workplace:

1. Create a Long-Term Internal Communications Plan

Firstly, it’s important to create an effective communication strategy to increase productivity and improve employee relations and communication. This is vital to measuring HR communication in the company, so you can see what works, what doesn’t and how you can make improvements accordingly. 60% of companies don't have a long term strategy for their internal communications . No matter how big your company is, you need to have a long term plan for your internal communications.

Your internal communication strategy should include key steps such as:

Conducting an audit to understand your company’s structure and your employees needs when it comes to employee relations and HR communication.
Setting clear objectives to help keep your employees informed, to improve engagement or help employees find meaning at work.
Choosing the channels you're going to use to communicate to your employees. It’s important to choose the right type of communication, whether it be an employee engagement app, intranet platform or any other means of communication.
Choosing the type of content you're going to share internally.

2. Create an All-In-One Communication System

An important part of HR communication is having a single, secure HR platform. This should include all of the information relating to your employees (including employment history, contract details, salary, diversity information, personal information, documents, company assets, performance records, and absence history).

This platform should benefit every employee and company documents should be easily available for employees to access: policies, procedures, standard templates, guidance notes, and forms should all be available in one central location. This means that when an employee doesn’t know or has forgotten an important company policy or procedure, the information they need is ready and waiting.

3. Encourage Face to Face Communication

HR often relies too much on email for internal communication, which can cause confusion since tone of voice and facial expressions are not taken into consideration. This miscommunication affects employee relations and performance as organisations rarely have the time to personalise these conversations.

However, if building trust within your employees is part of your company’s goal, you will benefit from replacing typing with having a face to face conversation. Since many employees are remotely working, these conversations can be held easily by a simple video call. Having a verbal communication builds and strengthens the relationships within an organisation by maintaining a sense of friendliness, integrity and authenticity towards each other.

In a recent study, it was shown that 60% of emails received by employees are not important . You may want to reconsider your HR communications strategy and start using an employee communications app where you can engage your employees with your company content.

4. Make Company Culture the Focus

Employees will communicate better if they have a common goal and a shared culture. HR departments should aim to reach the same atmosphere that they want to see in the rest of the company. Only 23% of executives say that their companies are excellent at aligning employees goals with corporate purposes. So, having a shared culture not only promotes consistency in the business, but also allows organizations to benefit from an open and friendly workplace.

A great company culture will also create a fun and engaging working environment that can result in a higher level of productivity and employee relations. Having a transparent work culture is important to ensure that there is trust between HR, management and employees.

5. Share Engaging Content

You should start by considering your employees a part of your target audience. A company’s content needs to be written for them just as much as it is for your other target audiences.

Most people are visual learners and this will certainly include your employees. Employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read text. However, most companies are still sending out long emails when it comes to internal communications. The key is to share engaging content that will boost the HR communication and information sent to employees.

Some of this content could include:

Video
Infographics
Interactive Newsletters
Visually engaging company news

6. Implement Surveys

Surveys are great for effectively communicating with your employees and improving employee relations between HR and the team. Surveys facilitate two-way communication, your employees will feel more engaged and empowered and, in return, you get valuable information and data that can be used to positively shape your strategy.

It’s widely known that when employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are much more likely to be happy, engaged and productive in their role. Therefore, implementing employee engagement or employee satisfaction surveys in your organisation will massively improve your HR communications.

7. Strategise an Onboarding Process for New Employees

HR communication will be effective by carefully planning onboarding steps for new employees, it will give them the information, relationships, and communication tools they need to be comfortable and confident enough to do outstanding work for the company. Employee productivity increases by 20-25% in organisations where employees are connected.

Especially for new employees, it can be difficult to learn the ropes in a workplace, therefore it’s so important to ensure new employees are connected with teams from their very first day. The company intranet is the perfect place to put together a great employee training program that every new hire will complete.

8. Make Internal Documents Easily Accessible

HR communications isn't just the verbal exchange between employees, it also concerns important information which needs to be shared. It’s vital to centralise all of this information in one place. A huge 57% of employees report not being given clear directions when it comes to accessing internal documents.

You can make internal knowledge easily accessible via documentation and training videos on your company intranet.

9. Align Employee Goals With Business Purposes

It’s important to work towards a common goal, when every person in a team or company is working to achieve the most important business objective, it will deliver success and boost morale.

There are 4 levels of alignment that a business should maintain in order to be successful:

Employee-role alignment - Finding the right fit for the position at hand.
Employee-goal alignment - To get employees moving in the same direction, make sure their business goals are aligned with personal targets.
Employee-team alignment - Effectively combine employee expertise and strengths so they can effectively contribute to the teams success.
Employee-organisational alignment - Level of alignment is strongly connected with the level of commitment of your employees and how successful your business is.

10. Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool to enhance HR communication and internal collaboration in the workplace. Companies should encourage their employees to like, comment and share interesting content or posts about their organisation. This will almost certainly spark conversations, educate employees and boost morale between the team.

As an HR communicator, the types of internal content could vary from:

Employee focussed content which will appeal to them in a way which will make them want to share it.
Educational content which highlights and makes you employees look professional and shoes that they are experts in their fields.
Uplifting content which could include sharing feel-good posts and showing the company’s human side.

HR Communication Software

HR communication software plays a vital role in modern organisational management, serving as a powerful tool for enhancing internal communication and streamlining human resources processes. As companies grow in size and complexity, effectively communicating with employees becomes increasingly challenging. This is where HR communication software comes into play, offering a centralised platform to disseminate critical information, align HR policies, and foster employee engagement. Big companies, in particular, rely on this software to address the unique communication needs of their extensive workforces, promote collaboration, and ensure a cohesive organisational culture. Read on to discover why and how some of the world's biggest brands incorporate HR communication software into their every day operations.

Procter & Gamble:

P&G, a multinational consumer goods company, leverages HR communication software to optimise internal communication channels and foster collaboration among its employees worldwide. By utilising this software, P&G ensures efficient dissemination of policies, benefits, and company news, leading to enhanced employee engagement and a more cohesive work environment.

Coca-Cola:

As a multinational beverage company, Coca-Cola relies on HR communication software to facilitate seamless communication with its global workforce. By leveraging this technology, Coca-Cola effectively shares company updates, communicates HR policies, and nurtures employee engagement, fostering a sense of unity and alignment across the organisation.

Netflix:

With a focus on maintaining effective communication within its organisation, Netflix, a global streaming service provider, employs HR communication software. This software enables Netflix to keep its employees well-informed about company news, HR-related information, and updates, ensuring that employees, including those working remotely or in distributed teams, remain connected and engaged.

IBM:

IBM, a prominent technology company, recognises the value of employee engagement and communication. To achieve this, IBM utilises HR communication software, empowering the company to effortlessly distribute HR-related information, conduct surveys, and foster collaboration among its diverse global workforce, resulting in improved employee engagement and organisational synergy.

Improve HR Communication with UK's #1 HR Communication Software

Do you need to improve HR communication? Oak Engage improves HR communication by providing a centralised platform for real-time updates, two-way communication, targeted messaging, self-service features, mobile accessibility, and valuable analytics. Our leading HR communication software streamlines communication, ensures consistent information, encourages employee engagement, and allows HR to deliver personalised messages while empowering employees to access information on their own.

1. Centralised Communication

Oak Engage provides a centralised platform where HR can communicate with employees. It eliminates the need for multiple communication channels, such as emails, intranets, or bulletin boards, and brings all communication under one roof. This ensures that employees receive consistent and up-to-date information from HR.

2. Real-time Updates

Oak Engage allows HR to send real-time updates to employees. Whether it's policy changes, new benefits, or important announcements, HR can instantly reach out to employees through notifications or messages. This ensures that employees are always well-informed and reduces the chances of miscommunication or outdated information.

3. Two-way Communication

Oak Engage facilitates two-way communication between HR and employees. Employees can provide feedback, ask questions, or seek clarification directly through the platform. This promotes transparency and encourages open dialogue, fostering a culture of engagement and collaboration.

4. Targeted Communication

Our HR communication software enables HR to segment employees based on various criteria such as location, department, or job role. This allows HR to send targeted communications to specific employee groups, ensuring that messages are relevant and personalised. Targeted communication increases the effectiveness of HR initiatives and avoids bombarding employees with irrelevant information.

5. Employee Self-Service

Oak Engage provides self-service features that empower employees to access information and resources on their own. For example, employees can access HR policies, view their benefits, or submit requests through the platform. By enabling self-service, HR can reduce the volume of routine inquiries and focus on more strategic initiatives.

6. Mobile Accessibility

Oak Engage is accessible through mobile applications, making it convenient for employees to stay connected and engaged on the go. HR communication software should be dynamic and accessibility should be a main priority. Mobile access ensures that employees can receive HR communications anytime, anywhere, increasing their engagement and reducing the chances of missing important updates.

7. Analytics and Insights

Oak Engage offers analytics and insights into employee engagement and communication effectiveness. HR can track metrics such as open rates, engagement levels, or feedback sentiment to assess the impact of their communications. These insights help HR refine their communication strategies and ensure continuous improvement.

Source: https://www.oak.com/blog/improving-hr-communication/

Human Resource Strategies 101: Aligning HR & Business

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 02:23:10 GMT

Human resources strategy continues to emerge as a key factor in the workplace of today and tomorrow. In the past, human resources (HR) took a backseat when driving business strategy. The good news is this is changing. More businesses are leveraging HR and workforce data that offers strategic insights a company can call upon to make decisions.

As noted in the 2023 Paychex Pulse of HR Survey , "The role of HR in the workplace is changing, with many leaders in the space saying they plan to focus on strategy and communication while utilizing technology to enhance productivity."

An effective human resource strategy recognizes the key importance of aligning HR functions with a company's broader plan. It means that "routine" HR services ( recruitment , hiring , onboarding , benefits administration , and training and development ) are viewed through the company's overall vision and purpose.

What Is a Human Resource Strategy?

For a business to succeed in today's marketplace, it must synchronize HR functions with other crucial elements, from sales and finances to customer service. In this increasingly popular approach, HR leaders occupy "a place at the table" when high-level executive decisions are made.

Generally, this means adopting a long-range human resources strategy where key operations, such as hiring and retention, directly influence a business's strategic direction. HR planning works in sync with C-suite leaders and others, with an eye toward the challenges a business faces today and in the future.

What Is a Human Resources Information System (HRIS)?

Types of HR Strategies

HR departments take on different organizational structures from one business to another, but when the time comes to broaden this department's purpose, two distinct types of HR strategies tend to emerge.

The first strategy recognizes the value of a high-functioning HR department within the entire organization. Policies within this framework emphasize the role played by HR in employee recruitment, training and development, and (ideally) ongoing advancement within the company. This can entail, among other things, the alignment of business objectives with employee performance evaluations and other human capital management initiatives.

A second type of HR business strategy emphasizes the role of every employee. The focus here is on training and development based on an individual's ability to learn and grow. Overall, this strategy aims at generating experience and knowledge that results in enhanced performance and fewer skill gaps within the workforce.

Is it time to adopt a new HR strategy? Find an HR professional who can help deliver personalized guidance and actionable HR advice based on your needs and help you meet your business goals.

Explore HR Options

What Is the Importance of an HR Strategy?

Historically, human resources primarily oversaw administrative aspects of a business with little connection to a company's goals. Today, many business leaders and HR professionals recognize that this approach can hinder successfully implementing business goals and initiatives that affect the entire organization.

In addition to leveraging valuable HR resources to help guide a company's future, this approach can directly impact your bottom line. Why? Engaged employees will likely stay longer with a business, improve their work output, and be more enthusiastic about their contributions. The result is the likelihood your business will see increased productivity, improved employee retention, and organizational growth.

Strategic HR management can:

Improve employee performance.
Predict future workforce needs and challenges.
Help businesses cope with turnover and new employee orientation.
Contribute to a more efficient business.

Why is an HR strategy important? Because it offers a significant resource for executing a company's short- and long-term goals.

6 Examples of HR Strategy

Examples of human resource strategic management span the full range of HR capabilities. When business leaders welcome the input and collaboration of HR professionals, the potential value is nearly limitless.

Examples of HR strategic goals can include the following:

Focus on promoting a company's reputation as an "employer of choice.”
Establish formal policies and procedures that stress strategic recruitment and retention.
Refine and implement a standardized new employee onboarding process.
Support employee learning and development.
Identify and develop future leaders from within the existing talent pool.
Ensure the business offers competitive hiring and benefits packages.

As these HR strategic best practices illustrate, aligning human resources with strategic planning can add a valuable dimension to an overall business plan.

How To Build an HR Strategy

Creating an HR strategy requires time and resources, but the potential payoff can be worth it. Many experts recommend undertaking a thorough SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the organization. With the information derived from this analysis, you can move on to these concrete action steps:

1. Communicate With Your Team

Set up conversations with internal stakeholders (managers, department heads, employees) to comprehensively grasp your company's history and accomplishments and ensure everyone understands your products or services.

2. Assess Individual Employees’ Range of Skills

Bringing HR in as a strategic partner includes an understanding of the range of your employees' skill sets. How well have employees performed in the past? What's their record of accomplishment concerning company programs and initiatives? How can we further train and develop our most promising workers?

3. Pinpoint Future HR Needs

With in-depth information about your workforce, you can more realistically anticipate your company's future HR needs. When employee performance falls short, look closely at possible reasons and determine the best action to fill gaps between job requirements and actual performance.

4. Re-Evaluate the Recruitment and Onboarding Process

Today, more than ever, businesses depend upon recruiting and hiring the right people to fill open positions within the organization. Considering the significant investment of time and resources dedicated to this objective, it makes sense to regularly assess the relative success of your current compensation and benefits packages. It's also helpful to utilize HR technology to achieve your HR goals.

In addition, talented job candidates may pass you by because they don't have a strong sense of your company culture, the workplace environment, and opportunities for advancement. Be sure to constantly monitor how you’re marketing employee experience in your recruitment materials.

5. Anticipate Turnover

Inevitably, some employees will leave the organization searching for "greener pastures." Encourage your HR management team to gain an in-depth understanding of why employees are going elsewhere. This will prompt efforts to eliminate toxic elements in the workplace and other factors inducing employees to seek jobs elsewhere.

Remember, an effective HR strategic plan depends on the skillset of the people working in the business.

Benefits of an HR Strategy

Alignment between HR and a company's long-range objectives can yield a variety of benefits:

More efficient allocation of money and other resources
Enhanced employee engagement
Boosts in morale and productivity
Improved recruitment and onboarding processes
Greater understanding of future HR needs

In addition to these benefits, effective HR planning strategies can result in clearer policies and procedures that help to keep your workplace environment in compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws. This, in turn, can help safeguard the business from audits, fines, and penalties for non-compliance, a great boon to companies who might otherwise get bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.

Why Aligning Your HR Strategy With Your Business Strategy Matters

Regardless of industry, the role of HR is often divided between "transactional" and "transformational" activities. Transaction activities are tasks HR oversees, such as managing employee recruitment and onboarding processes, administering payroll, maintaining employee records, and overseeing performance management.

These tasks can be so time-consuming that HR practitioners don't have the time to focus on strategic or transformational planning and interventions. Fortunately, automation has reduced the burden of many repetitive tasks and, in some cases, allowed HR professionals to take on more of a transformational role within their organizations.

Transformational activities focus on employee’s experience and journey within the company, beginning with recruitment, hiring, and onboarding. They are aimed at keeping employees engaged, helping them understand the company's vision and values, encouraging an open door policy , providing growth opportunities, and recognizing employee achievements .

Emphasizing these transformational activities can have a direct impact on a company's bottom line. Engaged employees will likely stay with the business longer, provide better work output, and be more enthusiastic about their contributions. As a result, companies with highly engaged employees tend to benefit from increased productivity, improved employee retention, and growth.

Human resources can potentially become a key partner in broader strategic plans.

Find an HR Consulting Professional trained in HR functions ranging from recruiting and hiring to employee separation and employment laws and regulations. They can become a strategic partner to your team who knows your business and its challenges.

Connect With an HR Consultant Today

Strategic HR Planning Can Help Your Business Grow

A critical step in displaying the business value of your HR transformational activities is to gain the confidence and buy-in of the CFO or controller, and this can be done by connecting the dots between your actions and business results. In short, your HR leaders must learn how to "speak the language" of financial decision-makers and other business leaders by demonstrating the connection between improving talent and increasing engagement and productivity.

Reach your business objectives by working with your HR department to:

1. Align Your Staffing Strategy With Your Financial Goals

Are you investing money in expansion, or tightening budgets? Make sure your HR department is aware of your budget so it can manage recruitment and hiring plans accordingly. Your HR team may also want to conduct a skills gap analysis to be more strategic in their recruitment, ensuring they are focused on hiring employees who meet predetermined business goals. A skills gap analysis can also help you identify employees who need upskilling or reskilling to improve their performance.

Your teams can have a significant impact on your business metrics. For example, a poorly performing team can affect customer satisfaction, and when customers are not happy, profits may drop. A team of talented, engaged employees is worth its weight in gold. The return on investment you can gain is higher quality work, increased productivity, and more innovation — all of which can contribute to your bottom line.

2. Establish a Business Continuity Plan for When a Crisis Arises

In response to the global pandemic, many companies were forced to cut costs or temporarily close their doors, causing many to reduce their employee headcount. Decisions like these can have severe repercussions, both financially and on employee morale. Often, remaining employees must absorb additional work or feel anxious about their job security. That's why HR should be involved in creating a business continuity plan (BCP) to help alleviate business disruption during a crisis.

When business disruption occurs — whether it be the result of an infectious disease outbreak, natural disaster, or something else — having a business continuity plan can help minimize its impact on your business and your employees. A BCP can include the following:

Create an emergency checklist and train staff on procedures before a disaster strikes.
Ensure that employees have the resources to work remotely if needed.
Temporarily freeze recruitment during a financial crisis.
Implement furloughs, limit shift work, and reduce overtime.
Place projects involving contractors and consultants on hold.
Have a communications plan to keep employees updated on how the company manages the situation.
Secure and back up company data for easy recovery. Consider switching to a cloud-based HR system to ensure employee data is not lost, and you can run your payroll normally.
Build financial resources to carry you through the crisis and help the business recover once the crisis has passed.

3. Leverage HR Strategic Planning To Manage Organizational Change

When organizational change happens, it can be uncomfortable — and often stressful — for employees. This can include major changes like merging with another company, organizational restructuring, or shifting the company's culture, as well as implementing new processes, switching platforms, or adjusting teams or leadership.

To help make the transition as smooth as possible, your HR department should be aware of the company's strategic vision for the change . Let's look at two examples.

Employees may worry about their job security in a major change, such as a corporate restructuring. If HR knows your strategic vision for the restructuring, they can focus on allaying employees' fears to help smooth the transition. Doing so may avert a situation where employees "jump ship" or begin looking for a job elsewhere. In the long run, retaining your talent during change can impact your business's bottom line, saving you the time and money to recruit and onboard new staff.
In another example, Let's say you're moving from a conventional workforce to a hybrid structure. You'll want the help of your HR team when it comes to managing the process to cause minimal disruption for employees. Or, if you're planning a move towards a remote working model, your HR team may be able to provide insights into the processes and technology needed to ensure employee productivity in a digital work environment.

HR and Future Business Growth

The days when HR stood apart from other operational aspects of a business are long gone. Today's business leaders recognize their workforce's strategic role in opportunities for growth and support a close alignment between human resources and strategic planning , thus dramatically increasing the odds for future expansion.

HR Strategy FAQs

Here are commonly asked questions regarding human resources strategy:

How Do HR Strategies Affect Performance? How Do HR Strategies Affect Performance?
Effective strategic human resource management recognizes the importance of aligning HR functions with a company's broader plan for growth. Key HR services (recruitment, hiring, onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, and training and development) are purposefully aligned with a company's overall vision and purpose.

Source: https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/what-is-a-human-resource-strategy

How To Cultivate Conversational Intelligence

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 02:13:38 GMT

Passing on interpersonal skills to the next generation.

KEY POINTS

Often, younger generations are more comfortable on a screen than they are face-to-face.
Conversational intelligence is essential for all generations to thrive together.
Conversational intelligence can be cultivated with four action steps.

Kristie is a close friend who recently sat beside a 22-year-old on a flight from New York to Los Angeles. She told me the young lady talked for hours. It was an insightful exchange that gave Kristie a peek into the world of Generation Z. She felt like she was talking to someone mimicking a social media influencer like Kim Kardashian—she’s the child of a real estate developer, has two cars (one of them a luxury car), is wicked smart, lives alone in a house her parents bought for her, travels constantly but doesn’t have a deep relationship anywhere. Sadly, she is dissatisfied, has thoughts of suicide , and feels hopeless. So, how did the conversation go? The young lady talked non-stop and obnoxiously for three hours. Graciously, Kristie listened carefully. By the end of the conversation, the young woman concluded:

“I like talking to you. I think people my age don’t know how to have a conversation, so when we meet someone like you who can host a conversation—we just soak it up because our skills are like 'yeah' and 'what?'"

Kristie wrote me later and concluded, “Her longing for connection was like meeting a starving child who had never tasted food—but to witness her at first was to experience one of the most obnoxious people. (The kind that makes you wish for another seat on the plane.) But one inch below the surface—there’s a tender little girl wanting to interact.”

Conversational Intelligence

Do you ever see this inability in teens? What’s more, do you ever wonder why you struggle to connect with certain co-workers or why your department doesn’t run as smoothly as others? Organizational anthropologist Judith Glaser argues this is likely due to a lack of conversational intelligence , an understanding of how important conversations are to effective teamwork and how to infuse conversations with trust. While conversational intelligence is missing in many workplaces and classrooms, Glaser believes anyone can develop this faculty using a few key tactics, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their interactions. What’s more, students can learn this as well. I believe we must learn the value of conversations to human growth. Below, I offer some doable steps I’ve used that have deepened my talent in hosting conversations. Model these and teach them to your students.

Four Simple Acts That Cultivate Conversational Intelligence

Learn to Ask Questions: One could argue that this is a lost art for millions of Americans, especially among younger generations. The moment our interaction could take place on a screen, we got socially and emotionally lazy. We hide behind screens. We fight with strangers on screens. We ghost people from our screens. Becoming skilled at asking questions means getting past asking ones that can be answered with a yes or a no. Instead, why not ask at least one question that communicates curiosity about the other person? When you display curiosity, you’ll be considered a great conversationalist. Since this may be foreign to others, begin with a safe and easy question about things in general, then move toward more personal and revealing questions. Begin with words like: Who? Where? What? When? And Why?
Learn to Listen Well: In my opinion, this is another lost art. Author David Augsburger taught us: “Being heard is so close to feeling loved that for the average person they are indistinguishable.” Listening should make up at least half of your conversation, if not more. I am consciously aware of how much talking and how much listening I am doing when I interact with others. It helps to prevent me from dominating the discussion. Author Kevin Kelly said, “Even if you don’t say anything, if you listen carefully, people will consider you a great conversationalist.” To do this well, we must avoid the common forms of “fake-listening”: judgmental listening, when we jump to conclusions early; selective listening, when we only hear what we want to hear; impatient listening, when we interrupt or finish others’ sentences; patronizing listening, when we pretend to listen but are off in our own world; or, stubborn listening, where our mind is already made up.
Learn to Empathize: Another lost art, empathy, is very challenging to practice, especially from a screen. Quite frankly, I met someone last week who told me he doesn’t want to work that hard at relationships, which is why he only interacts on a screen. Our culture is different than most in the world. While most industrialized nations are negatively impacted by portable devices, Americans get distracted by our smartphones and by the renegade spirit we’ve had since our beginning. We are fiercely individualistic, and it shows up more in how we live (more of us are living alone, dining alone, and traveling alone) and how we drive (an increasing number are more apt to be selfish drivers than courteous drivers). We believe it’s a “dog-eat-dog world,” so we must “look out for number one.” Empathy requires us to step into the shoes of another, feeling with them, and articulating it with our words (verbal), body language (non-verbal), and tone (para-verbal cues).
Learn to Volley: For many, this is still another lost art. It’s the act of serving, receiving, and volleying, just like in a tennis match. One must serve the ball and then prepare for the volley in return. Two good players may continue the volley several times. So it is with conversation. I’ve found it helpful to view myself as a “host,” not a “guest” wherever I am. This means I assume responsibility to “serve” the first question or remark, then keep the volley going until a natural closure, as if I am in my own home. When I travel and speak, I usually bring five questions with me I want to ask my audience members. I venture into the room early, set up my tech and slides, then shake hands and meet people. By the time I speak, I’ve met a dozen or so and feel we’re acquainted. After a remark in a conversation, I might volley back with, “Say more about that.” Or, “I bet that felt awkward. What did you do?” Or, “What happened next?”

Today’s younger generations could benefit from improved conversational intelligence. Let’s help them by modeling it for them.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/artificial-maturity/202308/how-to-cultivate-conversational-intelligence

What do you need to qualify for childcare assistance?

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 02:13:33 GMT

Enrolling your children in childcare doesn’t come without significant cost, but luckily there are several forms of childcare assistance available to help take the pressure off when it comes to childcare fees. But before you can receive childcare assistance, there are a few steps you need to take before you can qualify for the available payments.

Government childcare assistance

The Australian Government offers childcare assistance in the form of two main payments, the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the Additional Child Care Subsidy .

The CCS is the largest form of government childcare assistance and is intended to help families with the cost of childcare. This payment is paid directly to the childcare provider, who then passes the benefit onto the families in the form of reduced childcare fees.

The Additional Child Care Subsidy aims to provide families with extra help towards the cost of childcare. The Additional Child Care Subsidy comprises four forms of assistance that are available to those who already qualify for the CCS if they meet one of the following criteria:

An eligible grandparent getting an income support payment,
Transitioning from certain income support payments to work,
Experiencing temporary financial hardship, or
Caring for a child who is vulnerable or at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.

What you need to apply for childcare assistance

In order to qualify for childcare assistance and the CCS, you need to go through the following five steps.

1. Meet the eligibility requirements

The first step in applying for the CCS is to make sure you need the eligibility requirements.

Qualifying for the Child Care Subsidy

To get the CCS, you or your partner must:

Care for your child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% care,
Be liable for fees for care provided at an approved child care service, and
Meet the residence rules .

Further to this, your child must:

Meet immunisation requirements , and
Not be attending secondary school unless an exemption applies.

Once you’ve met the eligibility requirements for the CCS, you’ll then be assessed on the following criteria to determine how much you’re eligible for:

Your family’s combined income ,
The hourly rate cap based on the type of approved child care you use and your child’s age,
The hours of approved activity you and your partner do, and
The number of children in your care.

You can use our Child Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate how much assistance you could claim and your potential out-of-pocket expenses. Otherwise, you can read our dedicated blogs on the CCS rates and how to calculate the CCS if you’d like to learn more.

Qualifying for the Additional Child Care Subsidy

Some families may also be eligible for extra assistance through the Additional Child Care Subsidy if they’re:

A grandparent,
Transitioning to work,
Experiencing temporary financial hardship, or
Caring for a child who is vulnerable or at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.

The Grandparent Subsidy is available to children’s grandparents who are eligible for the CCS and already receive an income support payment. To be eligible for this payment, you must also:

Have 65% or more care of the child, and
Be responsible for making the day-to-day decisions about the child’s care, welfare and development.

The Transition to Work Subsidy is available to parents who are looking for employment, studying, working or training. To receive this payment, your family’s combined income must be less than $72,466 and you must also be getting one of the following payments:

Parenting Payment
JobSeeker Payment
Disability Support Pension
Youth Allowance
Carer Payment
Special Benefit, if you aren’t eligible for JobSeeker Payment or Parenting Payment
Austudy
Farm Household Allowance, or
A means-tested ABSTUDY payment

The Temporary Financial Hardship Subsidy is paid to those who are experiencing financial hardship and are struggling to pay their child’s childcare fees. To qualify you must:

Have experienced temporary financial hardship due to an event that happened in the last 6 months, and
Have a substantially reduced ability to pay childcare fees.

The Child Wellbeing Subsidy is available for up to six weeks and may be extended if your childcare provider feels like you still need to receive this payment. In order to qualify you must:

Be eligible for Child Care Subsidy, and
Care for a child who is vulnerable or at risk of harm, abuse or neglect.

2. Set up your online accounts

Once you’ve checked that you meet the eligibility criteria and the work and activity requirements, you’ll need to set up your myGov and Centrelink online accounts and link them before you can submit a claim.

You can create a myGov account online with your email address. If you’ve claimed a Centrelink payment in the past, you can use your Customer Reference Number (CRN) to link your Centrelink account. If you don’t know your CRN or you’ve never claimed a Centrelink payment before, you’ll need to prove your identity online via myGov.

3. Submit a claim

Once you’ve got your myGov and Centrelink accounts set up and linked, you’re ready to start your claim. You’ll need to apply for assistance through your Centrelink account. You’ll be asked a series of questions to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll need to confirm your basic details, tell Centrelink about your current circumstances and provide information about your finances. This will help to determine how much assistance you’re eligible for.

In the case of the Child Wellbeing Subsidy, the childcare provider will apply for assistance on your behalf. If you feel that you would benefit from this payment, reach out to your provider for additional support or to apply for the subsidy.

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4. Provide supporting documents

Before you can submit your claim, you may be required to provide documents that support your claim. The documents you need to submit will depend on your individual circumstances, so Centrelink will let you know what you need to provide. Common documentation includes things like your bank account details, visa information if you’ve lived outside of Australia and employment or study information.

If you don’t have these documents on hand to submit straight away, you have up to 14 days to submit them after which your claim may be rejected. With this in mind, the sooner you submit all of the documents and information, the sooner Centrelink can process your claim.

5. Enrol your child in childcare

The final step before your CCS can be paid is to confirm your child’s enrollment details through your Centrelink account. If you already enrolled your child in childcare before applying for the CCS, you may have already confirmed their details as part of your claim. If not, you’ll need to confirm them online.

Your childcare provider will submit your child’s enrollment details to Centrelink. It’s then up to you to check that the details match the Complying Written Arrangement (CWA), which is provided by the childcare service. If the details don’t match, chat with your childcare provider so they can update them on their end.

Once you’ve got everything you need to submit a claim, you’ll be provided with a CCS assessment notice that details the outcome of your CCS claim. This will tell you whether or not you’ve qualified for childcare assistance and how much you will receive.

Source: https://www.careforkids.com.au/blog/what-do-you-need-to-qualify-for-childcare-assistance-

What Is HR Strategy? And How Can You Best Execute It?

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:31:10 GMT

HR strategy defines which HR and workforce practices and activities to pursue and improve to deliver outcomes that will drive enterprise business goals.

How do you align HR strategy with business goals?

To drive HR strategic planning and any HR transformation initiatives, follow these five steps to create an effective human resources strategy that supports enterprise business goals:

Understand your organization’s mission, strategy and business goals.
Identify the critical capabilities and skills.
Evaluate the current capabilities and skills of your talent and the HR function, and identify gaps between the current state and future needs of the organization.
Develop HR goals to resolve gaps and establish criteria for measuring successful strategy execution.
Communicate the HR strategy.

Keep your strategy aligned as business needs change

Setting strategy is only the first step; turning it into a strategic HR plan that you successfully execute is far more challenging. The process fails for a number of reasons, including lack of visibility into business goals and inadequately defined measures for success. The volatile conditions in recent years also require measures to keep the strategy aligned as business needs change. Being programmatic helps to ensure that relevant strategy is executed effectively.

Align with business strategy. Human resources strategy should always respond to business strategy; it also should align both upward (with business priorities) and downward (with functional priorities). In a world where talent is increasingly seen as an organizational priority, HR strategy should inform and influence business strategy.

Establish goals as part of the strategy. Consider what constitutes long-term success for your HR function and how to prioritize goals to support enterprise strategy. Perhaps create a prioritized list of initiatives and HR goals, and evaluate the gaps between the current state and your mission-critical initiatives.

Set criteria for measuring successful strategy execution and adaptation. Once you’ve developed goals, identify four to seven key performance measures that describe the current level of performance of the HR function. Make sure these measures are specific, quantifiable and clearly tied to the desired performance, and use those same indicators to measure performance in the future.

Craft a clear and concise statement that captures the core of the strategy and summarizes the key objectives on which the HR function will focus over the next year. This empowers your organization’s HR professionals and employees to contribute positively to enterprise objectives. Tailor the communication to each stakeholder group to provide employees with direction for their decision making.

Source: https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/topics/hr-strategy

Better, cheaper childcare is on the horizon in Australia, but 4 key challenges remain

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:31:06 GMT

About 100 early childhood experts are meeting in Canberra today for a national summit on children who are five and under.

Universal, affordable and high-quality early education for Australian families is on the horizon. But four key challenges remain.

1. We still have ‘childcare deserts’

Access to early childhood education and care is not equal in Australia, and depends on where families live.

2. Childcare is really expensive

In recent years, the Coalition government injected significant funds into childcare subsidies. But the cost of early childhood services remains a key issue for many families.

The Albanese government will increase the subsidy again , as of July 2023. This will ease some of the financial strain.

3. Work requirements are not working

A 2022 Impact Economics report showed how the government’s “ activity test ” is a major barrier to parents working.

If there are two parents in a family, the activity test is based on the parent who works the least.

4. Early childhood educators are overworked and not paid enough

There are also major challenges around retention, pay and professional work conditions for the early education sector.

The good news … and the reality check

A noticeable feature of the Albanese government’s approach to early learning is a greater emphasis on children’s development and wellbeing.

By getting it right in the early years of a child’s life, we can help set the foundations for a happy, healthy, and successful future.

This marks a shift in government language, which previously talked about childcare in terms of boosting female workforce participation .

Nevertheless, huge challenges remain in the sector. Addressing them will be a major task for the government if is going to progress beyond summits and strategies to deliver real change.

Source: https://theconversation.com/better-cheaper-childcare-is-on-the-horizon-in-australia-but-4-key-challenges-remain-199864

Finding the right working culture will affect overall job satisfaction

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:30:21 GMT

Working culture is all the buzz these days when it comes to employer branding. According to many candidates, alignment with company culture plays a huge role in job satisfaction.

Think of your working culture as the personality of your organisation. It’s moulded from many elements including your company’s values, the office atmosphere, the people, and the work itself.

Especially when you’re working full time, finding the right office culture contributes greatly to job satisfaction and therefore job performance — it’s both the organisation’s and the job applicant’s best interest to find a culture-fit to match.

Finding the Right Working Culture

There is no one right way to run a company. Every organisation will have different styles depending on the organisation’s mission, values, and industry. Using Majer as an example, I’ll guide you through our culture and what drew me to work at Majer, so you might have a better idea of how to gauge another organisation’s culture.

If majer were a person, I would describe them as driven, committed, trendy, and caring. It’s the people I work with, our relationship with our clients, the work perks, and the office atmosphere that make up Majer’s personality.

These are the 4 things I love most about Majer’s working culture;

1. My colleagues are supportive

We have a flatline management structure. We’re encouraged to have open communication with other members on the team — no matter the position or seniority.

I find this style to work better for me over a hierarchical organisation because I find people to be more supportive and collaborative when it comes to communication.

The flatline management structure offers less bureaucracy than a traditional organisation hierarchy. In a flatline style, we have more autonomy over our projects, allowing us to own our work. When we need advice or direction, my colleagues are the best resources — I feel that my colleagues want to see me succeed in my role.

2. Our clients are a reflection of our values as a company

Recruitment is a truly rewarding career. We get to help candidates find their dream jobs and match them to organisations doing great things.

We love what we do, and I think it shows in our relationships with our clients. If we didn’t have a good work ethic and culture in our company, our clients wouldn’t want to deal with us.

3. Open office environment

We’re a small team, so I find it helpful to have all hands on deck. Since coming on board at Majer, I’ve found that I enjoy working in an open office environment. This only works when everyone on the team is supportive and beams positivity — it’s infectious.

4. Breaking away

It’s important to take regular breaks away from your work to refresh your mind. Without it, your productivity, your overall mental well-being, and work performance will suffer.

Foster an environment that encourages employees to step away from their screens — better yet, encourage breaks in the form of physical activities. Go for a walk, take a stretch break, or take a fitness class together.

If you’re lucky enough to have your office near a gym or fitness studio, they will often offer corporate rates for discounted sessions. At Majer, we see a personal trainer for group sessions twice a week. This not only gets our heart pumping and is an excellent stress reliever, but we also get to strengthen our relationships together in team building.

Looking for your next role?

Reflect on your current and past work cultures and make a note of what aspects you enjoyed about working with each organisation. What made you feel empowered, supported, stimulated, and excited about coming to work?

You can use this as your guide for the questions you can ask your interviewees to get a better understanding of the organisation’s working culture.

After all, we find that matching the values of the organisation and the employees are the best ways to ensure a great match.

Source https://www.majerrecruitment.com.au/working-culture/

Best practices for addressing invisible disabilities through the recruitment process

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:30:18 GMT

Approximately 18%, or 1 in 6 Australians live with disability, of which 90% have invisible disabilities. For individuals living with a disability, looking for employment can be filled with obstacles that those living without disability, or with a visible disability, do not face. For employers, it is essential to understand how best to accommodate individuals with invisible disabilities throughout the recruitment process. From adjusting interview techniques to ensure the comfort of all candidates to making accommodations in the workplace, there are various strategies that businesses can put in place to ensure their recruitment processes are inclusive and supportive of all applicants regardless of any differences or limitations they may experience due to unseen conditions.

What are invisible disabilities?

As the description suggests, invisible disabilities are impairments or conditions that cannot be seen yet have a significant impact on a person’s life. These can range from mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, to chronic physical illnesses like fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. While many of these conditions can be managed effectively, they can create barriers that affect work performance due to their impact on daily activities.

As an employer or business leader, understanding the scope of invisible disabilities is essential for creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. It is important to recognise potential candidates who may have an invisible disability and provide accommodation as and when they are needed. It is also important to be aware of any potential stigma surrounding invisible disabilities and create an open dialogue about the topics and implementing policies that support employees to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Create job postings that are inclusive of all abilities

When advertising for vacant positions, it is essential that companies create job postings that are inclusive of all abilities. This means taking care to avoid using language that may come across as exclusive or discriminatory towards individuals with disabilities, both physical and invisible. This means avoiding phrases such as “the perfect candidate” or implying that certain knowledge, qualifications, or skills are out of reach for some people.

Taking the time to make conscious decisions about the message that your job posting is sending is an important step that businesses can take in fostering a more inclusive culture within the workplace. This extends the candidate pool to a larger range of candidates who may be perfect for the position but may previously have felt discouraged.

Recognising and accommodating invisible disabilities during the recruitment process

To truly be an inclusive workplace, it is essential that everyone involved in the recruitment process is educated on how to identify and support candidates with invisible disabilities and provide an interview that is free from bias . It is also important to create a safe and welcoming environment that encourages people to disclose any invisible disability that they may have.

Some simple steps include making the application process easy to understand – include information of the required format an application should be submitted in, and well as specifically stating what support material should be included. If possible, provide a workable deadline for applications and offer the option of additional support throughout the recruitment process such as a contact person for further information and assistance.

The interviewing process should also be fully accessible and should include a quiet space to perform the interview or any tests and assessments that may need to be completed and additional time for those who need it. It is also worth considering offering alternative interview formats such as telephone calls or video conferencing which can reduce stress levels and supplying questions or a guide ahead of the interview to allow candidates to prepare.

Create an in inclusive and welcoming work environment

Providing a diverse and inclusive environment in the workplace is incredibly important when it comes to ensuring that all employees feel valued and supported. When considering invisible disabilities, it is important that accommodations and provisions are made on an individual basis. Companies should provide education and training on the types of impact invisible disabilities can create as well as provide and encourage an open dialogue and clear policies to ensure all team members are aware of their rights and obligations when it comes to inclusivity.

Providing accommodations for invisible disabilities can also include working with the individual to create a flexible schedule , the option to work remotely , assistive technology, ergonomic adjustments, and more, to ensure that all employees are able to thrive in their employment.

Why Chandler Macleod?

At Chandler Macleod we prioritise diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as one of our core values. We believe in finding the BestFit ™ for the role, every time. Contact our team to for a confidential conversation about how Chandler Macleod can help your business thrive.

Source https://www.chandlermacleod.com/best-practices-for-addressing-invisible-disabilities-through-the-recruitment-process

11 Things an Emotionally Intelligent Boss Says

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:07:43 GMT

The body KEY POINTS

A self-aware boss is able to self-reflect. They do not immediately seek to shift blame to others.
A boss who lacks self-awareness is frequently defensive and protects their self-esteem by blaming others.
A socially aware boss is empathetic and emotionally attuned to everyone in the room.

The way a boss speaks to their employees may signify emotional intelligence or narcissism, among other traits. Empathic , self-aware, socially aware, and emotionally regulated communications may point to an emotionally intelligent boss ( an EI boss ), and the absence of these qualities may indicate a boss who is high in the trait of narcissism.

Empathy is recognition and respect for how another person feels, even if it differs from how you feel. For example, a supervisor may sense that an employee is upset. They may gently say, “You are frustrated that you did not get the project that you asked for, and I would be too. I get it. You have every right to feel that way. But Amy has a prior relationship with this client, so I needed to give the account to her. I hope to be able to honor your request next time. You are a fantastic employee and I want you to be happy here.”

Although the boss does not grant their employee’s request, they resonate with their disappointment and communicate a sincere and respectful understanding of how they feel . Although they do not change their decision, they allow the employee to possess and express feelings that they may not necessarily want them to have. In place of shutting down the colleague, the boss empathizes. This allows the employee to feel seen, understood, and respected, regardless of the outcome. It also provides the superior with an opportunity to follow up the empathy with reassurance and validation.

Alternatively, a narcissistic boss may say, “Stop being negative. Be a team player and have a better attitude.” Then, the employee walks away from the discussion feeling worse and may decide their boss is not safe to talk to. They may hide their true feelings, take things on the chin, and eventually leave the company because their boss lacks empathy.

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A self-aware boss is able to look at themselves. They do not immediately seek to shift the blame or turn things around on someone else to avoid looking in the mirror. The ability to self-reflect allows them to contemplate their role in things instead of immediately lashing out at a co-worker to avoid the “hot seat.” For example, Ash’s team discloses they lost a huge account. Ash says, “This is a big blow. We should have communicated more effectively as a team. Part of that is my fault. I’ll schedule more frequent team meetings. Let’s also identify where the specific lapses in communication occurred and I’ll do some research about how to prevent this in the future.”

This boss analyses the situation and owns their part of the mistake. Instead of blaming people, they take responsibility for their role and seek to find the fault in the process, so it can be fixed. If they need to hold specific individuals accountable, they do so in private and avoid reprimanding them in front of their colleagues.

Conversely, a boss who lacks self-awareness is frequently robustly defensive and instantly protects their self-esteem by blaming and shaming others. They continually see the fault as “out there” and rarely look inward. This type of leader typically says things like, “How could you blow this account? From now on you will be working on the smaller accounts. Clearly, you are not ready for the big league.”

A leader who possesses social awareness “knows their audience.” They are conscientious and thoughtful. For example, they may be aware that a member of their team miscarried recently, so for a period of time, they refrain from bringing up stories of their own infant during office chats. In addition, they gently and nonchalantly redirect the team’s conversations when members are talking about their own babies and toddlers. Their ability to be emotionally attuned to others allows them to refrain from saying anything hurtful, triggering, marginalizing, or devaluing. Their consistent awareness and thoughtfulness allow them to be conscientious when communicating with others.

On the other hand, a superior who lacks social awareness rarely thinks about anyone else’s feelings. They are completely focused on what they think and are oblivious to how their words and actions impact others. This type of boss makes toxic comments and is indignant and angry when they are told that their language negatively impacted a team member.

You can tell if a boss is emotionally intelligent by the way they react when they are challenged or confronted. A boss who is emotionally regulated may pause and appear distressed and uncomfortable but remain somewhat calm and refrain from losing their cool and attacking someone else. Often they will take the time to fully listen to the data coming their way and ask specific questions to find out more about a situation. Statements like, “That is interesting. I am glad you brought it to my attention . I’ll look into it. Let’s circle back tomorrow,” are common. Frequently, they may adjourn an interaction to take some time to think about the information. Usually, the next day, they reopen the discussion by acknowledging the feedback. “I appreciate your insights. I’m working on a plan to see if your ideas can be integrated into what we are already doing.”

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However, a leader who routinely reacts to constructive criticism by flying off of the handle may not be emotionally regulated. A habitual tendency to lash out, fire back without thinking, and unfairly accuse other people allows this type of boss to play the victim. By reflexively accusing others of wrongdoing, they escape having to look at themselves. Instead, they immediately shift the blame and frame an underling’s identification of an issue as “aggressive” and “antagonistic.”

Now consider this set of 11 emotionally intelligent statements a boss might say, versus 11 typical responses of a narcissistic leader.

Empathic communications vs. narcissistic:

“You have every right to feel the way you do.” vs. “Get over it."
“I get where you are coming from.” vs. “Change your attitude.”
“I would feel similarly if I were you.” vs. “You are oversensitive.”
“I understand how you feel.” vs. “Grow up.”

Self-aware interactions vs. narcissistic comments:

“Some of this is my fault.” vs. “This is completely your fault.”
“I need to take responsibility for this part…” vs. “You are damaging this company with your mistakes.”
“I am sorry, I did not catch this..” vs. “How could you let this happen?”
“Let’s work together to rectify this." vs. “Fix it, now!”

A socially aware boss is emotionally attuned to people in the room and attempts to transition conversation from an insensitive dialogue to a more neutral topic. Also, they usually don’t say toxic things because they are aware of how their words and actions can affect the group. They prefer to help the group rather than hurt a targeted individual who may be a threat to them for some reason.

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Emotionally regulated language vs. narcissistic responses:

“That is an interesting thought; I’ll have to think about that.” vs. “That is a bad idea for so many reasons.”
“I appreciate the feedback.” vs. “Keep your ridiculous ideas to yourself. We don’t have time.”
“I am confused, but I want to understand. Please help me clarify what you are saying.” vs. “Nobody asked you. Stay in your lane.”

Language is powerful and the manner in which a leader communicates may reveal whether they are emotionally intelligent or narcissistic. Understanding the type of boss you are working with may help you realize that you are not the problem. Next, set healthy boundaries and capture their unprofessional language. Getting help from HR or a trusted colleague may be necessary.

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Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/peaceful-parenting/202310/11-things-an-emotionally-intelligent-boss-says

Social model of disability

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:07:39 GMT

People with disability aren’t the problem – we’re the solution.

There have been many models used to understand disability over time. Here at PWDA, we use the Social Model of Disability to inform how we work to advance and protect the rights, health and wellbeing of people with disability.

Social model of disability

According to the social model, ‘disability’ is socially constructed.

The social model of disability contrasts with what is called the medical model of disability.

According to the medical model, ‘disability’ is a health condition dealt with by medical professionals. People with disability are thought to be different to ‘what is normal’ or abnormal. ‘Disability’ is seen ‘to be a problem of the individual.

From the medical model, a person with disability is in need of being fixed or cured. From this point of view, disability is a tragedy and people with disability are to be pitied. The medical model of disability is all about what a person cannot do and cannot be.

The social model sees ‘disability’ is the result of the interaction between people living with impairments and an environment filled with physical, attitudinal, communication and social barriers. It therefore carries the implication that the physical, attitudinal, communication and social environment must change to enable people living with impairments to participate in society on an equal basis with others.

A social model perspective does not deny the reality of impairment nor its impact on the individual. However, it does challenge the physical, attitudinal, communication and social environment to accommodate impairment as an expected incident of human diversity.

The social model seeks to change society in order to accommodate people living with impairment. It does not seek to change persons with impairment to accommodate society. It supports the view that people with disability have a right to be fully participating citizens on an equal basis with others.

The social model of disability is now the internationally recognised way to view and address ‘disability’. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) marks the official paradigm shift in attitudes towards people with disability and approaches to disability concerns.

People with disability are not “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection but “subjects” with rights, capable of claiming those rights, able to make decisions for their own lives based on their free and informed consent and be active members of society.

In this context:

Impairment is a medical condition that leads to disability.
Disability is the result of the interaction between people living with impairments and barriers in the physical, attitudinal, communication and social environment. For example, it is not the inability to walk that keeps a person from entering a building by themselves, but the stairs that are inaccessible to them

Source: https://pwd.org.au/resources/models-of-disability/

Why hire people with a disability?

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:19:32 GMT

Did you know that disability has an impact on 73% of the world’s population? That’s over $13 trillion of disposable income just waiting to be tapped into.

A huge opportunity prevented by unseen exclusions

Here in Australia, 1 in 5 people have a disability of some kind, but only around half of them are working, and 10% of these are under-employed. Clearly there’s not only a massive market, but a huge opportunity for organisations to employ and to serve 20% of the Australian population.

Despite this, organisations continue to exclude people with disability, even though they are highly-qualified and skilled for numerous jobs.

Often this discrimination is involuntary and unseen. Even organisations that are leaders in equal opportunity in areas such as gender and race, have hidden barriers that prevent them from attracting and employing people with disability. Let’s not forget, skilled workers with disability are a hot commodity, and won’t work for just anybody.

So why hire people with disability?

Still not convinced? Hiring staff with disability and designing products and services for customers with disability have many benefits. You can expect to:

Widen your talent pool.
Expand your consumer base.
Retain workers.
Represent your customers.
Lower absenteeism.
Improve brand reputation.
Enhance productivity.
Engaged workplace culture.
Lower workplace risk.
Uphold the rights of people with disability.

Find out more about these benefits.

Source : https://and.org.au/join-us/why-hire-people-with-a-disability/

Happier, healthier, smarter kids.

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:19:29 GMT

According to Psychology Today emotional intelligence (also known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to identify and manage your emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

It includes skills such as emotional awareness, which is the ability to notice and name your emotions, the ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving, and the ability to regulate your emotions (when necessary) and help others do the same.

The development of emotional intelligence is a hugely important life skill for children and at Little Hands Early Learning Centre children are proactively and deliberately taught emotional intelligence skills in every aspect of their childcare day.

We spoke to Ellen Perkins the owner of Little Hands ELC to learn more.

Ellen trained in psychology and found her way into early education following a trauma that caused her to reevaluate her priorities and leave a lucrative career in property development to refocus on psychology, more specifically positive psychology in early education.

After thoroughly researching EQ, Ellen started running workshops for parents in early learning centres and created a book of feelings for children called Real Feels.

Then came COVID and, following a period of deep reflection, Ellen and her partner John, decided that running an early learning centre would be the best way to extend Ellen’s passion for supporting children and families to develop greater emotional awareness.

Little Hands is an 88-place centre on a quiet hilltop in Southport Queensland, with a team of 15 educators who are inducted to the world of emotional intelligence by completing Ellen’s EQ Advantage Workshop.

Through completing the workshop educators learn the skills to teach children emotional intelligence by developing their self-awareness and emotional regulation and through providing them with the tools and strategies they need to turn challenges into positive learning experiences.

“What a lot of people don’t know is that there is a direct link between emotional intelligence, and academic success, healthy relationships and a happy life.

What is also little understood is that we are not born with emotional intelligence but it is a very learnable skill,” said Ellen.

Ellen says that while the concept of EQ has been around for 20 years or so, it is fairly new to the education sector and she is not aware of any other early learning centre dedicated to emotional intelligence.

“I am fascinated in the development of a child’s self-awareness, as all effective learning stems from this.

When a child pays attention to their feelings they are more in tune with their environment, they are more open to experiencing the world, they know how to stay safe and when to take smart risks, and their brains are switched on to what inspires them, which helps them discover the path they were destined for.”

Teaching emotional intelligence on a daily basis

Development of children’s self-awareness and emotional intelligence is incorporated into the daily practice at Little Hands in a variety of ways. This includes:

Emotion coaching, which is the concept of using a child’s difficult feelings as opportunities to connect with empathy, develop their awareness of their feelings, and help them problem solve.
Emotion modelling, which is when educators act as a role model for healthy emotional regulation and expression of feelings. Educators know that children learn a lot by observing how the adults around them manage their own feelings, and how they interact with the world. You could call it teaching by being.
Educators regularly spend time talking about different feelings and reading feeling books. They discuss what happy, mad, sad emotions feel like in the body and in doing this they teach children that all feelings are normal. They also share ideas on how to manage difficult feelings in a healthy way.
Meditation and yoga programs to raise children’s awareness of the messages their body is sending them and so they can learn how to calm themselves when they’re overstimulated.
Visits by the centre’s wellness dog in training, Charlie. Therapy dogs are scientifically proven way to calm children down, reduce anxiety, build feelings of trust and raise spirits and Charlie visits twice per week.

Tackling common challenges

Ellen says that while emotional intelligence is of great benefit to children, it is also hugely helpful to mums and dads, especially as they come face-to-face with some of the common challenges of parenting.

“Probably the biggest challenge for parents of pre-school children (and any-aged children!) is getting their kid to listen. Parents often report they feel frustrated and exhausted, after repeating the same instructions over and over again. I was very much one of these parents.”

Ellen says there are two points parents should keep in mind when faced with a child who is not listening (or one of the other challenges):

1. Remember, you’re not alone

2. There is always a solution

“Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook and all parents are just learning on the run. I cover this in my workshops where we break down patterns and teach parents strategies to help them manage challenging behaviours.”

Ellen says emotional awareness also helps

“Emotional awareness is being aware of your feelings, as you feel them. It may sound simple but only about 33 per cent of people can accurately name their emotions as they are experiencing them. Emotional awareness also means awareness of how other people are feeling, i.e. having empathy.

“When you have empathy, you can put yourself in your child’s shoes and respond to their emotions in a way that makes them feel safe and loved.

“In other words, you become their go-to person when they are feeling mad or sad, because they know you will help them feel good again.

“Emotional awareness really is the keystone to healthy relationships and a peaceful home.”

Emotional intelligence...it’s never too early to learn.

BY BONNIE LAXTON-BLINKHORN, KINDICARE

Source: https://kindicare.com/parenting-tips/happier-healthier-smarter-kids

Work with meaning: Aged care as a rewarding career

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:19:26 GMT

Australians should be more aware of the meaning and satisfaction people have working in aged care, while industry maps out career pathways and better training to attract young people into the sector, according to a leading academic in the field.

Macquarie University Associate Professor Denise Jepsen, who chairs the Macquarie Ageing and Aged Care Researchers Network, said her studies had revealed aged care workers had one of the highest rates of job satisfaction .

Speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the Network, Professor Jepsen described the occupation as “human work”.

“Aged care workers generally have a very high level of job satisfaction,” she said. “They know their work is deep work, it’s important work, it’s about gratitude, it’s about caring and being grateful.

“It’s a very rewarding and satisfying setting to be in.”

Professor Jepsen said the spotlight of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality had highlighted the negative “exceptional” stories, but the day-to-day operations of the sector remained grounded in care.

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic and the terrible impact on residential aged care – where more than 630 people have died – would have massive impacts on attempts to boost the future workplace.

But she said industry, government and advocates were already aware of the workforce changes that needed to occur, due to significant reports completed in recent years such as the A Matter of Care plan.

It called for social change to highlight the value of the work, increased training and a clear career path for workers.

Even though the path is there the task will not be easy, she said.

“The social change campaign was advocated before COVID, now even more we need to ensure society and our young people and our aspirants for jobs can see the enormous work being done in aged care and the value of that work,” she said.

“We need to reframe that negative COVID publicity.

“Coming out of the COVID crisis has been a negative campaign for the workforce, we need to reposition this vital care work from being a “job” to being a “career”.

“It’s an industry that gives satisfaction that is so much deeper than just a function-based career. This is compassion work.”

She pointed to her research as an organisational psychologist where aged care respondents noted the “honour and privilege” to work for people in their last months, weeks and days of life.

There is significant scope for change. Prof Jepsen acknowledged the strain workers had been under and the chronic under-valuing of the “pink collar” roles.

She said the mostly female workforce had to be supported with flexibility and better pay and conditions to achieve parity with other nursing roles and to be able to see their long-term career in the sector.

Training had to improve above the current level to allow staff to achieve additional professional skills and stay in the workforce.

But she said she did not necessarily support mandatory staff ratios that did not consider the wide scope of care required for people as they aged.

She said given the incredible tight budgeting environment for providers, nurse ratios were often not the highest priority for quality care.

“It would be fine to have ratios if there was more room to move in the budget, but no, I think it’s a blunt instrument,” she said.

“Yes, transparency is always good and will help accountability, but flexibility to have more carer hours, not just nurses, is often needed, depending on the resident profile mix at any one time.”

Source: https://insideageing.com.au/work-with-meaning-aged-care-as-a-rewarding-career/

Your Complete Guide on How to Become a Childcare Worker

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:18:22 GMT

Childcare professionals provide supportive care to children in a variety of age groups. These caregivers use their talents and special training to lead children in engaging activities that promote learning and social growth. If you enjoy caring for young children and guiding their early development, working as a childcare professional may be a fulfilling career choice. In this article, we explain how to become a childcare worker, share the common job duties of this position and provide other details about the profession.

What is a childcare provider?

A childcare provider is a professional who nurtures, instructs and supervises children. These professionals work with children ranging in age from infancy to early school years. Childcare providers find employment in a variety of settings, including schools, government facilities and childcare centres. They oversee the daily activities of children, including education, play and hygiene. They also work in collaboration with parents and other professionals to create a positive and supportive experience for children and their families.

Childcare professionals may work in any of the following environments:

after school care facilities
schools
daycare facilities
hospitals
private residences
crѐches
kindergartens
women's shelters.

What does a childcare provider do?

Childcare professionals take part in a range of activities to provide enrichment for children. They fill the role of educator and caretaker, working alongside parents to ensure kids show healthy behaviour and development.

Here are the common tasks childcare professionals complete while working:

supervise children during recreation and educational activities
create and maintain an environment that encourages safe play and learning
instruct children in age-appropriate lessons and concepts
manage behaviour and social interaction between children
help children develop emotionally and socially
prepare instructive lessons and activities
understand and practise procedures related to child safety
assist children in hygiene care
track a child's progress through assessments and observation
identify any developmental issues and challenges and share concerns with the appropriate parties
talk to parents and other professionals about a child's needs and progress
prepare and serve nutritious meals to children in your care
lead children in games and other recreational activities
administer first aid and provide care for minor injuries.

How to become a childcare worker

Working in childcare requires specific certifications and training. Use these steps when learning how to become a childcare worker:

1. Obtain your licence

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Anyone working with children, both professionally or on a volunteer basis, is required to complete a Working With Children Check (WWCC) before starting a job in childcare. You can apply for this mandatory certification online, which includes a national police check to verify your background. Check with your province or territory for specific procedures, fees and processing times. To apply, prepare your proof of identity documentation and fill out the correct forms through your local government website. The WWCC may take several weeks to process.

2. Complete a certificate or diploma

To qualify for a position as a childcare provider, select the appropriate training courses that fit your preferred level of expertise. Prepare to work with children professionally by completing one of the following programs:

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care: Earning this certificate prepares you to interact with children and provide learning and recreational activities for their educational and social growth.
Certificate IV in School Age Education and Care: This professional certification prepares you to facilitate before and after-school programs.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care: This is a VET diploma that gives you the skills to work in supervisory childcare roles.

3. Get a first-aid certification

Learning first aid can help prepare you to care for children's physical needs in the case of injuries or allergic reactions. Courses offer practices that meet Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines. Some courses add the component of specific CPR training as well. This additional certification proves that you're prepared for any emergency situations through official training methods.

4. Prepare for your job search

As you prepare to apply for jobs, compose your resume to highlight your key skills and training related to childcare. Describe your educational experience and provide details about volunteer activities and previous work experience, especially as it relates to working with children. If you're applying for your first professional position, using unrelated work experience is acceptable to prove your ability to complete job responsibilities.

5. Gain experience

You can begin working in a childcare facility in an entry-level role, such as an aid or assistant. Once you start using your skills and training, you can move into a position requiring more responsibilities. You can also increase your expertise with additional training programs. Look for internship possibilities that provide you with guided learning on the job.

Childcare provider skills

To excel as a childcare provider, use and grow the following skills:

Communication: Childcare providers must be able to communicate clearly with parents, children and colleagues. It's important for childcare professionals to understand how to instruct children using simple language and concepts.
Teaching abilities: As childcare positions often involve educating children along with supervisory duties, teaching skills are an important asset for those who want to work in this profession. Knowledge of classroom structure and lesson planning help care providers support a child's learning.
Computer skills: Childcare professionals who work in daycare facilities use basic computer skills to create and share lessons and communicate with parents or other team members using email and software applications. Childcare professionals may also use computerised check-in systems as parents bring children in and pick them up at the end of the day.
Interpersonal skills: since childcare professionals work with people throughout the day, they need strong interpersonal skills. They must be able to build trusting relationships with children and parents and interact respectfully with colleagues.
Listening skills: To fully understand parents' needs and colleagues' requests, childcare professionals need excellent listening skills. They use active listening to engage with children by understanding their needs through body language and speech.
Patience: Childcare professionals need patience to work with young children with diverse needs, demands and maturity levels. Patience can also help them respond to conflict and behaviour challenges.
Stamina: Professionals who work with babies and young children move around constantly. Physical endurance helps you stand for long periods while instructing and supervising children, both indoors and outdoors.

Childcare provider salary

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

Childcare providers earn an average salary of $58,536 per year . Depending on your educational background and experience, you may be able to earn more. Location also plays a role in determining your salary. Here are some locations that may pay more for childcare positions:

Melbourne VIC: $61,294 per year
Perth WA: $60,178 per year
Blacktown NSW: $59,631 per year .

Childcare provider work environment

Childcare providers perform their jobs in several different settings. Many professionals in this field work at childcare facilities, which may include separate rooms for children in various age groups. In these cases, childcare providers may be subject to state regulations that determine the number of infants and toddlers they can supervise at a time. Since childcare facilities operate outside of normal business hours to accommodate parents' needs, childcare providers may work a variety of staggered shifts throughout the week.

Those who work as nannies typically work in their employer's homes. Nannies may also transport children to school, appointments or other locations. These childcare professionals usually do their jobs while their employers are at work, and they often work overtime to accommodate their employers' needs. Some nannies may work on weekends, in the evenings or even on family vacations.

Is childcare a good career?

Working in childcare can provide a uniquely fulfilling career. Jobs in childcare involve daily interaction with children, giving you the chance to nurture and provide for their development. Childcare opportunities continue to grow, providing stable job security. This profession also offers a chance to begin working in education with opportunities to move into higher-paying roles. Earning a diploma in early childcare education can also give you the chance to take on supervisory roles in care facilities.

Source: https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-a-child-care-worker

Child care and early education in Australia: choosing the right type for your family

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 22:18:19 GMT

Key points

Child care in Australia includes long-day care, family day care, in-home care, business-related creches and outside school hours care.
Your choice of care will depend on your family circumstances and values.

On this page:

About child care and early childhood education in Australia

There are 5 main options for child care and early education in Australia:

home-based care
centre-based care
family day care
business-related creches
outside school hours care.

Child care is also known as early childhood education and care . It’s mainly designed for children aged up to 5 years, but it also includes care for primary school-age children in outside school hours care.

All children living in Australia have the right to use child care services. Children can’t be excluded from child care on the basis of their cultural background, citizenship, family circumstances or ability.

Home-based care

Home-based care is when a friend, relative, babysitter or nanny cares for your child in your own home .

You might choose to organise home-based child care because other child care options aren’t available when you need them or they don’t meet your needs.

Many families use informal home-based care. For example, this is when grandparents or other relatives look after children , either regularly or occasionally.

Other families make more formal arrangements. For example, they use babysitters or nannies .

Babysitters are handy for occasional care – for example, when you’re going out for an appointment or social event. For longer and more regular hours of care, you might choose to employ a nanny . Nannies are generally more experienced and better qualified than babysitters.

You might be able to use the Australian Government’s In Home Care program to help with the cost of home-based child care by an educator who meets minimum qualification requirements. You have to be working non-standard or variable hours, be geographically isolated, or have complex or challenging family needs to be eligible.

Centre-based day care: long day care and occasional care

Centre-based care includes long day care, occasional care, preschools and kindergartens.

Long day care at a child care centre suits many families who work regular weekdays.

Some child care centres offer occasional care for families who need someone to look after their children every now and then. This is a good option if you work irregular or unpredictable hours or you need to go to appointments or catch up on household tasks. You can express your interest in occasional care days and go on a waiting list for when other children are away.

Preschools or kindergartens operating from stand-alone centres offer education and care programs for children aged 3-5 years. Some preschools also offer occasional care days if other children are away.

Centre-based care:

is reliable
has qualified early childhood educators
offers a learning and development program with structure and routine
gives children opportunities to play and socialise with many other children.

Family day care

Family day care is when your child is looked after by an approved educator in the educator’s home .

Family day care:

is a home-based environment
offers a learning and development program and opportunities for children to play and socialise with other children
might be a quieter environment, which some children prefer or need
can be flexible – for example, if you just need care for part of the day
might be less reliable than centre-based care – for example, you might have to find back-up care if your carer gets sick.

If you’re interested in family day care or centre-based child care, it’s a good idea to visit family day care homes or child care centres so you can get a feel for different services. Our child care checklist can help you work out whether a particular service is right for your family.

Business-related creches

Some businesses, like gyms or shopping centres , offer informal child care in creches. These businesses might charge a fee or build a fee into the overall cost of membership or the price of their products or services.

These creches can be convenient if you need care for a brief period . They’re a good way for children to play and socialise with other children. They can also prepare children for more formalised child care in the future.

These creches don’t have to meet the same requirements as centre-based care or family day care – for example, requirements for educator-child ratios or education quality. So they won’t help your child learn and develop in the same way as a quality early childhood education and care service .

Outside school hours care

Outside school hours care is centre-based child care for families who need care before or after school, on student-free days and during the school holidays. It’s only for primary school-age children.

Educators in centre-based child care services, family day care and outside school hours care must be qualified in early childhood education. They have the skills and training to support your child’s learning, which is a key part of the child care experience.

Which type of child care is right for your family?

When you’re trying to decide which type of child care is right for your family, you might want to consider the following questions:

How many hours of child care do you need each week?
What are the child care options in your area, and how much do they cost?
Do you want your child educated and cared for at home or at a child care centre?
Are you looking for child care that matches your family’s interests, lifestyle or values – for example, food choices, musical interests and so on?
Do you want your child to experience different styles of learning and mix with children from a wide range of social and family backgrounds?
Are you looking for child care that’s similar to or different from learning and care at home?
What are the quality ratings of the options you’re interested in? You can check quality ratings of child care services at Starting Blocks .

You might be able to get Australian Government assistance to help with child care costs . You need to meet certain criteria to be eligible. For example, you must use an approved child care service.

Registering early for child care

When you’ve decided or even while you’re still deciding, it’s a good idea to register with any services that you’re interested in .

It’s OK to put your child on more than one waiting list. This is because you might not get all the days you need from one service alone, or a service might not have a vacancy when you need it.

Source: https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/work-child-care/organising-child-care/child-care-types

Best Exercise Routine Tips for Shift Workers

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 03:30:05 GMT

Finding a workout routine that suits the busy and unpredictable weekly schedule of a shift worker can present as quite the challenge. Working shifts can make it a lot harder to stick to a consistent workout routine and adhere to fitness goals due to the long inconsistent hours. It is common to either not know where to start and what kind of exercise routine is the most effective, or to find yourself unmotivated and tired after working long shifts. It is important to know that you are not alone in this feeling and there are simple ways to incorporate exercise more easily into your routine as a shift worker.

Firstly, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions to gain an understanding of the main goals and desired outcomes for exercising. Thinking about why you want to exercise (eg weight loss goal, build strength, overall health), what is most convenient for you (eg going to a gym nearby, working out at home), and what has stopped you from exercising in the past (what have been previous barriers) are all important factors to determining the best exercise routine for you.

Planning ahead where possible is the first step to creating a more consistent workout schedule. Although shift work can mean an ever-changing schedule, planning out each week with work, sleep time and any other commitments can help you to visualise where there is time in your schedule to fit exercise in, so that it is most convenient to you. Checking your shifts and deciding what days you will exercise will hold you more accountable and prevent you from just ‘hoping’ to fit exercise in. Remember, short workouts are better than no workout at all, so try to fit in even a small amount of exercise wherever possible.

Exercising before a late shift is often a good time as it is not as rushed and you haven’t depleted energy from working a whole shift yet. Working out after straight after an early shift is often a good time too as it is still early enough in the day, and you haven’t let yourself relax and unwind from work yet. This may even just be a walk around the block or a quick gym session before heading home. There are many gyms that are open 24/7, making it a lot easier to fit in a workout whenever is most convenient in your schedule. Virtual online workouts have also become popular in recent years, providing many benefits for shift workers such as convenience, flexibility, cost effectiveness and accountability to workout. Remember to always listen to your body though and exercise mostly when your energy levels are the highest for best results!

Prioritising sleep is a major contributor to successfully working out, plus overall health. If you’ve just finished a shift and you’re feeling exhausted, you should definitely consider sleep instead of working out. Although it is important to workout even when you don’t feel like it, exercising when already tired can increase risk of injury and decrease performance for both exercise and work for the days ahead.

Often as a shift worker you are constantly on your feet and moving around which is already a great start to staying active. However, if you are on a night shift for example and have a bit more ‘free’ time, jogging up and down the stairs a few times, doing a few laps of the hallway or even a quick core workout in the break room may be all you need to get your heart rate up for the day.

Juggling shift work and exercise isn’t always easy, but with a bit of experimentation, effort and discipline you’ll find yourself on the right track to a balanced healthy lifestyle.

Book a consult with a qualified physiotherapist at Altaira Allied health for a tailored strength and conditioning plan to start your fitness journey: https://bookings.nookal.com/bookings/location/EDJUN

Source: https://www.altaira.com.au/best-exercise-routine-tips-for-shift-workers/

15 Careers Working To Help Clients With Disabilities

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 03:28:50 GMT

For those who are committed to service, a career devoted to helping others allows them to fulfill their passion. Jobs helping people with disabilities span across industries and experience levels. By taking the time to review the unique opportunities available to you, you can determine which career path is right for you and the steps you need to take to achieve it.

In this article, we define disabilities, review the categories used to classify disabilities and list 15 jobs that allow you to assist people with disabilities, along with salary expectations and key job responsibilities.

What are disabilities?

A disability is a form of impairment that causes individuals to perform daily tasks differently than others. Individuals may be born with certain disabilities while others develop or acquire them during the course of their life. Still, with the right treatment and support, people with disabilities can learn to live with their conditions. Here are the four main categories of disabilities used to organize the different conditions people can have:

Physical disabilities

Physical disabilities can be either permanent or temporary and can be a result of an accident or pre-existing condition. They can impair an individual's ability to stand, walk or perform daily tasks like driving, cooking or writing. Some examples of physical disabilities include:

Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Tourette syndrome
Spinal cord injury (SCI)
Cystic fibrosis (CF)
Limb loss

Learning disabilities

Learning disabilities cause individuals to have trouble communicating, understanding social cues and performing tasks like reading and writing. They may also have trouble interpreting and retaining information. Learning disabilities can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, living environments, injuries and other situations. Some examples of learning disabilities include:

Dyslexia
Dysgraphia
Dyscalculia
Down syndrome
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Fragile X syndrome

Mental disabilities

Mental disabilities affect an individual's mind. They can further affect an individual's perception of reality. Some individuals are born with mental disabilities as a result of genetic conditions. However, they may be caused by traumatic events or unhealthy living situations. Here are a few examples of mental disabilities:

Anxiety
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Depression
Eating disorders
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder

Sensory disabilities

Sensory disabilities affect a person's senses. This includes sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Individuals may be born with sensory disabilities or acquire them from an injury during the course of their lives. Some examples include:

Autism
Sensory processing disorder
Full or partial blindness
Color-blindness
Full or partial deafness

15 jobs that involve working with the disabled

Here are 15 examples of jobs that involve assisting people with disabilities, along with responsibilities, education requirements and salary expectations. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on each salary link below:

1. Home health aide

National average salary: $29,020 per year

Primary duties: A home health aide works as part of a care team to perform household chores, prepare meals, administer medications, run errands and keep residents company. Home health aides may work with clients who have physical or mental disabilities clients to help them complete tasks they otherwise could not. To become a home health aide, you should partake in a specialized training program. No formal education is required.

2. Disability support worker

National average salary: $31,638 per year

Primary duties: A disability support worker works exclusively with patients with disabilities to improve their daily lives. They cook meals, run errands, take patients to appointments, maintain a patient's home and act as a source of guidance and support. Disability support workers should have at least a GED or high school diploma to qualify for a position. They may also need to complete specific training to cater to patients with disabilities.

3. Rehabilitation specialist

National average salary: $41,609 per year

Primary duties: A rehabilitation specialist helps patients with disabilities to adapt to their new lifestyle. They may refer them to doctors, help arrange work placements and offer encouragement for their situation. To become a rehabilitation specialist, a master's degree in psychology, counseling or a related area is required. A doctoral degree may also be preferable in some states.

4. Counselor

National average salary: $29,640 per year

Primary duties: A counselor may work as part of a private practice, hospital, school or support center. Counselors can specialize in a number of areas such as mental health, disability and learning impairments. Their goal is to help clients cope with either short- or long-term disabilities to help promote a positive outlook. Most counselors have a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology, counseling or social work. They should also obtain state licensure where they want to practice.

5. Learning disability nurse

National average salary: $39,963 per year

Primary duties: A learning disability nurse, also called a special needs nurse, is a health care professional who specializes in caring for and aiding development efforts for those with conditions like Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy and others. Learning disability nurses should have at least a bachelor's degree in nursing and should have passed the NCLEX licensure exam.

6. Developmental disability case manager

National average salary: $36,687 per year

Primary duties: A developmental disability case manager provides support to patients newly diagnosed with disabilities. They help them file disability claims, choose health care services, set up appointments and establish a time frame for recovery and returning to their former place of employment (if reasonable). To become a developmental disability case manager, you need to obtain a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or a related area.

7. Disability support coordinator

National average salary: $31,638 per year

Primary duties: A disability specialist is someone who works with students or workers with disabilities to establish their needs in a new school or work setting. They may aid in the installation of ramps, prepare distraction-free learning spaces and identify other factors that could present problems to their happiness in their new environment. They may also help establish a route to and from a location as well as proper transportation.

Because their work may span a variety of areas, age groups and circumstances, disability specialists should have a bachelor's degree in special education, psychology, social work or counseling.

8. Special education teacher

National average salary: $49,847 per year

Primary duties: A special education teacher is responsible for using their love for teaching to aid students with disabilities to achieve learning initiatives. They may be responsible for developing lesson plans for one or more students with various physical and mental disabilities or sensory conditions. Special education teachers should earn a bachelor's degree in education with a specialty in special education.

9. Mental health case manager

National average salary: $40,804 per year

Primary duties: Mental health case managers can work as part of a hospital or psychiatric facility. Their many responsibilities include meeting with clients to discuss their conditions and establish goals for recovery. They help clients obtain appointments with experienced mental health professionals. To become a mental health case manager, you typically need a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work or a related area. In some cases, a master's degree in psychology may be preferred.

10. Speech-language pathologist

National average salary: $80,992 per year

Primary duties: A speech-language pathologist helps children and adults achieve good communication tactics. They do this by meeting with clients to work on exercises for lisps and other conditions like swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists help those with hearing disabilities to speak in a comprehensive way. Speech-language pathologists should earn a master's degree in speech-language pathology in addition to licensure.

11. Prosthetist

National average salary: $73,209 per year

Primary duties: Prosthetists work with occupational and physical therapists to aid in patient recovery from an injury. They are responsible for meeting with the patient and fitting them for braces or prosthetic limbs to aid their mobility. Prosthetists need to earn a master's degree in orthotics and prosthetics followed by one year of a clinical residency before they can begin work as a prosthetist.

12. Occupational therapist

National average salary: $82,439 per year

Primary duties: Occupational therapists work as part of hospitals or clinical practices to administer treatment and support to patients with injuries or disabilities. Their main responsibilities include assessing a patient's needs and creating a plan for recovery or increased mobility. They meet with patients to help them perform exercises that will improve their mobility and confidence. To become an occupational therapist, you should earn a master's degree in occupational therapy. Some universities may offer an occupational therapy program that encompasses both the bachelor's and master's degree levels.

13. Physical therapist

National average salary: $82,249 per year

Primary duties: A physical therapist works as part of a hospital or clinic to help patients practice beneficial exercises. Physical therapists typically work with patients who suffer from chronic pain or illness, but they may also work with people with disabilities. Their job is to teach their patients how to exercise and stretch to alleviate pain and promote the longevity of a healthy body. Physical therapists need to earn a doctorate degree in physical therapy and obtain licensure to practice.

14. Psychologist

National average salary: $105,081 per year

Primary duties: Psychologists are health care professionals who can work in a number of settings and specialty areas. Psychologists often help diagnose and provide treatment methods for patients with mental health issues. These may include OCD, anxiety or depression to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. To become a psychologist, you need to obtain a doctorate degree in psychology, pass a state licensure exam and complete several practice hours.

15. Psychiatrist

National average salary: $225,096 per year

Primary duties: Psychiatrists work for hospitals, mental health facilities and private practices. They are responsible for meeting with patients with mental health issues, intellectual disorders and other conditions. They assess the patient and may administer medication to help them overcome their situation. They may also prescribe certain activities or habits to help a patient improve their livelihood. Psychiatrists should earn a doctorate degree in psychiatry before completing a few years of residency and obtaining state licensure.

Frequently asked questions

What are some best practices for working with clients with disabilities?

If you're pursuing a career helping clients with disabilities, there are some best practices, such as asking the individuals how they prefer you assist them. It's also vital to interact with them respectfully and with dignity. Additionally, be sure you're listening to understand their needs, how to support them and what makes them feel comfortable.

What skills or character traits make an ideal disability-support person?

Having excellent communication and customer service skills can benefit you as a disability support person, and so can patience and empathy. Communication and customer service allow you to listen, collaborate and accomplish tasks for your client. Patience and compassion enable you to build a positive rapport with your client while learning new life perspectives.

What should a disability-support person put on their resume?

In addition to the basic content that should be on all resumes, as a disability-support worker you'll want to make sure to include a personal statement, sometimes also called a professional summary. This section of your resume will display your related work experience and best skills. Writing a personal statement introduces you to the recruiter, catches their attention, and lets them know how long you've been in the industry, your accomplishments, and your relevant job skills.

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/careers-working-with-disabled

Top Tips to Be a Great Aged Care Worker

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 03:28:46 GMT

Working in aged care is a rewarding and demanding profession that requires a unique set of skills and attributes. As an aged care worker, you will be responsible for caring for people who are facing various physical, emotional and mental health challenges.

Maintaining good physical and mental health, staying positive, and continuously learning and adapting to new techniques and information are crucial for success in this field. This article will explore these essential qualities in more detail, providing valuable insights for both new and experienced aged care workers.

Be empathetic: Aged care workers often care for people who are dealing with difficult physical, emotional and mental health challenges. It is important to be empathetic and understanding of the feelings and needs of the elderly people that you are caring for.

Be patient: Caring for older adults can be time-consuming and require a lot of patience. Being able to stay calm and patient in stressful situations will help you provide better care for your clients.

Communicate effectively: Good communication skills are essential for aged care workers. You should be able to communicate clearly and effectively with elderly people, as well as with their families and other healthcare professionals.

Be organised: Aged care work can be demanding and requires a high level of organisation. Make sure you keep accurate records and document care plans, treatments and progress.

Be reliable and consistent: Older adults rely on their caregivers for support and stability. Make sure you are consistent in your care and always show up on time.

Keep learning: Aged care is a dynamic field and new information and techniques are emerging all the time. Stay informed and continue learning to improve your skills and knowledge.

Show respect and dignity: Older adults deserve the same respect and dignity as anyone else. Always treat them with respect and maintain their privacy and independence.

Be flexible: Aged care can be unpredictable, so be ready to adapt to changes in the care plan and be open to feedback.

Be physically and mentally fit: As an aged care worker, you will be required to be physically and mentally fit, taking care of your own well-being will help you to be a better care worker.

Stay positive: Aged care work can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Stay positive and focus on the good things that you can do to help improve the quality of life of your clients.

How can I find a residential aged care home near me?

Residential aged care homes are located throughout Australia. To begin your search, simply click on your state below and then enter in your desired suburb (or the name of the aged care provider if you already have a home in mind):

Source: https://agedcareonline.com.au/2023/04/Top-Tips-to-Be-a-Great-Aged-Care-Worker#:~:text=Be%20patient%3A%20Caring%20for%20older,essential%20for%20aged%20care%20workers

Studying an aged care course? Explore a day in the life of a worker!

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:22:43 GMT

So you’re interested in enrolling in an aged care course in Melbourne , but you aren’t sure if it’s the career for you. Luckily, we’re here to help.

We want you to love your career in aged care. To give you an idea of what you can expect, our course counsellors have put together this slice of the typical day in the industry, based on the real-world experience of our instructors and our successful graduates.

So, what does a typical day in the life of an aged care worker look like? The truth is, it’s a bit hard to answer, given how diverse the industry is.

That said, your typical shift might reflect the following day-in-the-life…

5am: Rise and shine!

The day starts before the crack of dawn, with many aged care workers getting up early to prepare to work.

At 5am, your alarm goes off. What used to be a struggle is now the norm, so you leap out of bed, eager to start the day.

The elderly are known to rise early, so aged care workers need to rise even earlier!

Not only does this mean you’re ready to help those under your care, but it also gives you ample time to prepare beforehand.

Eating a full breakfast is a must, as you fuel yourself for the day ahead.

6:30-7am: Arrive on time

Upon arriving, you and your colleagues clock in, store your belongings in your locker, and head to the office.

Here, you’re debriefed by the night team, who are just about to wrap up their shifts. They inform you of any notes or incidents that occurred during the night.

After that, it’s time to prepare for any special requests and do your first rounds.

For aged care workers who provide in-house care, your arrival time may be more flexible depending on the needs of the individual client.

Alternatively, you may only be needed for part of the day, with family members picking up the slack for the rest of the day.

It all depends on the type of facility you work in!

8am: Breakfast and general care

You’ve had your breakfast – however, the residents at your aged care facility may not have!

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This doesn’t change, no matter how old the individual in question is.

As such, the typical workday starts with breakfast. You’ll be responsible for bringing breakfast to your residents, and in certain cases, assisting them during mealtime.

In some facilities, meals are had in a communal space, like a dining room.

If your aged care facility uses this set-up, you may also be required to help residents make their way from their room to the dining area.

You’ll use tools like wheelchairs and lifters (which our aged care courses in Melbourne will teach you how to use) to transport residents to the canteen.

In addition to bringing them breakfast (or bringing them to breakfast), you may also be required to help residents prepare for their day. This may include dressing, grooming, and going to the bathroom.

Many seniors have unique medical conditions that require them taking specific vitamins and medication early in the morning as part of their care plan. As an aged care worker, one of your responsibilities will be administering this medication safely.

10am: Outdoor activities

A large part of remaining healthy is physical activity – as such, physical activities are an important part of any aged care worker’s responsibilities.

Assisting the residents to your hall or garden area, aged care workers are responsible for leading residents through some simple routines including stretches and gentle exercises.

You may find yourself with mini stereo in hand, playing a funky 70s dance hit while encouraging those in your care to keep moving!

In some cases, you may even assist professional aerobics instructors and physical therapists in their routines.

11am: Lunchtime

Time has slipped by so fast – can you believe that it’s almost lunchtime already?

While your residents are busy making their way to the dining room for lunch, you’ll have some time to enjoy your own lunch, too.

Pop down to the staff room and put the kettle on – enjoy your well-earned break!

Depending on the policy of your facility, you may or may not be the one responsible for preparing lunch, or aiding residents during the lunch hour.

If you provide in-home care individual care however, preparing lunch is one of your biggest responsibilities. In many cases, the elderly won’t be able to prepare their own food, and as such, you’ll need to step in.

If you work in an aged care centre, lunch may also present you with a window of time to clean up residents’ rooms while they’re busy eating.

You’ll vacuum, empty bins, dust, and change the sheets.

1pm: Paperwork

Paperwork is crucial in monitoring residents’ health and ensuring that all of their needs are being met.

You’ll fill out prescription information and make notes about all your residents.

While there’s not always a dedicated portion of your day set aside for paperwork, we recommend keeping on top by doing as much of it as you can when you have a spare moment.

2pm: General care

Were you in the middle of paperwork? If so, that can wait because now it’s time for the afternoon frenzy of activity!

Many residents like to move around after lunch. As an aged care worker, you’ll be helping them do so. You’ll help with transfers, and assist mobility-impaired residents get around.

3pm: handover

The morning shift is over, and it’s time to head off!

As the afternoon shift comes in, you hand over your paperwork and inform the new workers about any progress notes from the morning, and update them on the latest medication schedules.

This information prepares the afternoon crew for their upcoming shift, and ensures that care seamlessly transitions with minimal complications.

Once handover is complete, it’s time to clock off – good timing, as the morning coffee is starting to wear off!

Time to head home, enjoy the afternoon off, and get a good night’s rest before it all starts again tomorrow!

All day: answering to various needs throughout the day

Not all days in an aged care facility are going to look the same.

During the day, you’ll be answering to residents for a variety of needs:

Perhaps someone has fallen over and needs urgent assistance
Mobility-impaired residents may need help getting around
There might have been a mix-up in the kitchen and someone is missing a meal
One of your residents might simply want to chat about something
A hazard in a common area needs to be treated immediately

And this is on top of all of your other daily responsibilities as an aged care worker!

These are just some examples of the types of extra tasks you’ll routinely deal with. Your buzzer will be going off throughout the day, and your shift will be peppered with one-off tasks and queries.

However, with clear communication and support from your fellow aged care workers – as well as the help of an aged care course in Melbourne – you’re set to enjoy a truly rewarding career.

Thinking of a career in aged care? Enrol in an aged care course in Melbourne today!

Are you looking forward to an exciting and rewarding career in aged care?

Before you start your career in aged care or advance to the next level, you’ll need to get the right qualifications!

Academia is one of Australia’s leading providers of courses for aged care , as well as childcare , commercial cookery , and English .

We are committed to providing students with world-class training. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or looking to change direction, our aged care courses in Melbourne are just what you’re looking for.

Our Melbourne campus offers two different aged care courses:

Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015)

Kick-start your career with the Certificate III in Individual Support.

This certificate will teach you the basics of assisting the elderly. A Certificate III in Individual Support provides training in providing personal care and assistance to residents at in-home care facilities and other community settings.

You’ll learn about nutrition, helping with medication and how to work with mobility-impaired residents. You’ll also receive training with tools such as lifters.

All of this is capped off with 150 hours of work placement in a registered aged care facility. Put your newly acquired skills into practice!

Certificate IV in Ageing Support

Looking to get into a more specialised career path in aged care? Want to step into more of a managerial or leadership role?

Advance in your career by enrolling in the Certificate IV in Ageing Support.

In addition to what you’ll learn in the Certificate III, you’ll also learn about high-level and specialised tasks, like:

Implementing interventions for at-risk individuals
Loss and grief support
Individualised service planning and delivery
Maintaining healthy body systems

All of which opens the door to plentiful opportunities in aged care!

Source: https://www.academia21.com/blog/2019/08/30/studying-aged-care-course-explore-day-in-life-worker/

5 Skills a HR Professional Needs to Overcome Common Issues

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:02:10 GMT

If you’re interested in pursuing a new job in human resources, there are some key skills that every HR professional needs to succeed. Regardless of your position, there’s one fundamental responsibility that connects all kinds of HR roles, from HR managers to HR officers. Your number one responsibility will always be people. In human resources, you will be working with people full time; it’s your responsibility to liaise with employees, employers, and CEOs to maintain relations across your workplace.

These statistics are why successful businesses make sure they hire the right person for any HR position. They need to guarantee that you’re the perfect contribution to their small HR team.

As a demanding and competitive industry, an HR career isn’t for everyone . It can be a difficult career transition into the field if you’re not fully prepared. To truly succeed in this kind of work environment, you need to know how to manage conflict ethically, with fairness at the forefront. You need to demonstrate your ability to think critically, adapt quickly, and prioritise. Most importantly, you need to be an active listener and communicator. If you want to go above and beyond as an HR professional, there are some essential skills that will guarantee your success. These five key HR skills will help you to overcome common problems and thrive in any kind of HR career.

1. Effective Interpersonal Communication

Effective interpersonal communication skills are advertised as soft skills on most LinkedIn profiles; this skill set is favourable in any job, but in an HR role, written and verbal communication skills are more than just favourable — they’re a must. As an HR professional, you need to know how to manage people effectively . You will be working with employees and employers at different levels, maintaining employee relations across different departments. You have to encourage active communication within these employee-employer relationships.

A common challenge you will have to face in HR is conflict management.

Disagreements and differences often come up in employee-employer relationships. Working in human resources, it’s your responsibility to smooth over these issues before they grow into larger problems. Using your effective interpersonal communication skills, you can manage conflict and ease concerns by encouraging meaningful conversation. If you can demonstrate that you’re an approachable HR professional and create an environment that welcomes open communication, you can prevent conflict altogether.

2. Administration and Organisation

In an HR environment, you need to be organised. Without impeccable time management and multitasking skills, you will be inundated with administrative responsibilities and quickly buckle under pressure. Effective human resource management involves managing the calendars and schedules of everyone else. Planning will be your speciality. You’re responsible for all kinds of administrative tasks — organising performance management plans, maintaining HR software, planning workloads to meet objectives, budgeting, evaluating data analytics, and more.

To prove that you’re an organised professional, you need to demonstrate your attention to detail and efficiency.

A common HR challenge that you will have to prevent is miscommunication, which can cause several administration issues.

Poor communication can lead to calendar inconsistencies and other incorrect information spreading. If you organise your team efficiently, encourage regular communication, and appropriately manage workloads, you can avoid these inconsistencies and maintain a consistent, organised schedule.

3. Fairness and Flexibility

There’s a common misconception in HR that you always have to be nice. This isn’t necessarily true. You don’t always have to be everyone’s favourite person, but you do always have to be fair. It’s your job to judge all workplace situations with emotional intelligence, fairness, and flexibility, making regular adjustments according to the needs of others. HR leaders need to regularly adapt to changes. This includes the changing needs and timelines of every team member, which you will have to adapt to as they change. Throughout these changes, you must remain flexible, keeping everyone’s well-being in mind. It’s your responsibility to make adjustments with fairness and ethics at the forefront of every decision.

A common HR challenge you will have to work around is unpredictability; the nature of the job is unpredictable.

You can’t predict everything and circumstances will often change. This will test your patience at times, but your fairness and flexibility will allow you to accommodate the needs of all employees and employers, demonstrating your honest and reasonable nature. Your decisions should make your ethical standards clear, offering equal opportunities and employee benefits to all team members.

4. Confidentiality and Discretion

All HR careers require you to handle sensitive information. You will be one of the few team members with authorised access to this information, so it’s your responsibility to deal with this information with confidentiality and discretion. You need to handle this information ethically, maintaining respect, care, and empathy for all team members. As an HR professional, you should make every employee feel secure in every exchange with you.

This will help to reassure every team member that their information is in safe hands.

A common HR challenge comes in the form of disagreements; employees may disagree with company policies from time to time.

By maintaining confidentiality and discretion, your team members will feel comfortable approaching you privately to discuss their concerns and offer constructive criticism. This will allow you to create fair company policies that meet everyone’s needs.

5. Decision Making and Critical Thinking

No matter what kind of HR career you want to pursue, all HR professionals have to be self-motivated individuals, constantly developing new skills. Your skillset has to demonstrate that you have the critical thinking skills needed to make practical decisions.

As a self-guided individual, you have to be able to think on your feet — you will have to regularly make considered decisions on short notice.

A common challenge in HR often comes up in talent acquisition, in the recruitment process.

Business leaders want the top talent for their company, and this can be hard to find. When you’re interviewing and assessing candidates, it’s your responsibility to find someone with the perfect blend of skills for the advertised role. With your critical thinking skills, you should be able to assess selection criteria and interview material effectively, allowing you to ultimately make the best possible decision.

Working in an HR department requires patience, discipline, and empathy. These positions are highly sought after in the business world. In order to stand out and prove this is the right career path for you, you need to demonstrate your drive and prove that you’re capable of overcoming common problems. Human resources careers are full of road bumps and setbacks; it’s all part of the package deal of working with people. If you want to thrive in your HR career, you have to do more than just overcome these problems. You have to make the most of every situation. With these five keys skills under your belt, you will thrive in any HR career, all thanks to your strengths in connection, collaboration, and communication.

Source: https://www.training.com.au/ed/five-skills-hr-professionals-need/

Young people with disability have poorer mental health when they are unemployed – funding should tackle job barriers

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 23:53:38 GMT

Australian governments spend a lot of money supporting young people with disability to find a job. But the success of these programs has been modest.

Employment rates for young people with disability have been persistently low for the past two decades, despite considerable investment in employment services and programs. While 80% of those Australian adults without disability are in jobs, only 48% of those with disability were in work in the most recent Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers .

Young adults with disability are therefore also much less likely to be in jobs than their peers without disability. Our recently published research found young people with disability who do have jobs have better mental health.

Unfortunately, current efforts to boost workforce participation are focused solely on potential employees with disability, not the environments that could employ and support them.

Young people with disability have poorer mental health to start with

The mental health of young people with disability is considerably worse than their peers without disability and this gap looks to be widening.

We know having a job is good for a person’s mental health and that unemployment leads to poorer mental health. Our previous research showed being unemployed has a bigger negative effect on the mental health of young people with disability than young people without disability.

This may be due to factors like loss of work identity and financial stress which can affect all unemployed people. However, these and other impacts may be worse for people with disability due to the greater economic and social disadvantage they experience, and the greater barriers they face in gaining work.

Our study used Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey data from 2016 to 2019 and included 3,435 young adults aged 20 to 35. The 377 young adults with disability in our sample had poorer mental health than young adults who didn’t report a disability. They were also less likely to be employed. We checked to see how much of the poorer mental health experienced by young adults with disability could be improved if they had the same employment rate as their peers without disability. To do this, we used a method called “ causal mediation analysis ” which allowed us to estimate how much having a disability affects the mental health of young adults.

We then took this estimate and split it into two parts: the effect on mental health due to unemployment, and the effect on mental health not due to unemployment. We found nearly 20% of the poorer mental health reported by young adults with disability could be alleviated by helping those who want to work into jobs.

Employment programs may not be hitting the mark

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promised to improve employment rates for young participants. The School Leaver Employment Supports program is the main way NDIS participants are supported to move out of school and into work. However, data in the most recent report shows only 29% of people in the program entered mainstream employment, and over half were unemployed when they left the program.

Other programs, like Disability Employment Services and Workforce Australia , provide support to people with disability to find and keep a job. Outside of school leaver supports, the NDIS can provide funding to help participants find and keep a job.

Our research suggests supporting more young people with disability into employment could start to close the gaps in mental health between them and those without disability. But the focus shouldn’t be just on the job seeker.

Room for improvement

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has targeted the school leaver supports program for reform as part of concerns around the financial sustainability of the NDIS, including changing the way the School Leaver Employment Supports program is funded . This would mean incentivising providers to achieve good employment outcomes for young people with disability, instead of just providing services.

Currently, services focus on vocational training with the aim of improving the jobseeker’s capability and capacity to work. This can include education and training . But this is often outside a workplace setting rather than “on the job” training , which may be more effective.

Further, focusing only on the job seeker ignores the other barriers people with disability experience, like discrimination and systemic disadvantage. When looking for work, people with disability encounter job advertisements which use ableist language and application software that may screen out candidates who have gaps in their employment record. Inaccessible buildings may make it difficult for people with physical or sensory disability to participate in job interviews.

On the job, people with disability may face negative attitudes , employers who do not know how to provide reasonable adjustments and lack of flexible work arrangements . For some people with invisible disability, like psychosocial disability , talking to their employer may be especially difficult due to the fear of stigma and discrimination. Meaningful government action is needed to address the discrimination people with disability experience when they look for jobs and in the workplace.

Additional barriers to employment , like accessible transportation to get to and from work, or safe and stable housing, also impact the employment outcomes of young people with disability.

Connections between government services and more training for workers could ensure job seekers with disability get help to address these life areas. Employers also need clear guidance and support to hire, accommodate, and build the careers of employees with disability.

Young adults want to work

We know young adults with disability want to work and to have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Helping young people with disability into suitable jobs that match their strengths, needs and goals is critical to supporting their mental health. But until we address these bigger issues that stop young people from getting work, young adults with disability will continue to have lower employment rates and poorer mental health that puts them at risk of poorer quality of life. Failing to address this issue also adds to welfare and health system expenses. We owe it to young people with disability and their mental health to make job opportunities a reality.

Source: https://theconversation.com/young-people-with-disability-have-poorer-mental-health-when-they-are-unemployed-funding-should-tackle-job-barriers-211065

The Essential Guide to Working as a Support Worker in the Community

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:17:54 GMT

Support Workers provide care for vulnerable individuals that require support in the community. Being a support worker can be challenging, but it is a highly rewarding role. With casual and part time work available, it is ideal for local and international students looking for flexible and practical paid work experience.

Responsibilities of a Support Worker

Assessing the needs of members and the nature and extent of their abilities,
Planning, developing and implementing care plans under the guidance of a qualified therapists,
Monitoring and reporting on the progress of members,
Accessing and participating in the community,
Providing personal care assistance such as dressing, bathing and going to the toilet, if required,
Assisting with domestic activities such as washing and vacuuming if required,
Preparing meals and assisting with eating meals, if required,
Interacting with members and encouraging and arranging various activities to help stimulate them physically and emotionally, if required.

What skills are needed to be a great Support Worker

Here are 12 tips to maximise your impact and make the most of your time at work:

Be Positive and Supportive
Ask Questions
Take Notes
Be Flexible and Patient
Take Time for Yourself
Be Organised and Professional
Be Honest and Upfront
Stay In Touch
Use Technology Wisely
Learn New Skills
Stay Connected to Your Community
Have Fun!

Be Positive and Supportive

Your job is to support people with disabilities, so you need to be able to build positive relationships and be a valuable resource. A big part of your role is being available when people need you. Make sure you are reliable and stay on schedule – this will help people feel confident that you are there for them when they need it.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions – this will help you learn more about your members and better understand their needs. It also allows you to provide the best possible service, which is vital in ensuring that people with disabilities feel supported and valued throughout their journey.

You are likely the first person someone with a disability speaks to about their needs. Make sure you listen carefully and ask questions when necessary. This will help you understand your members and identify any needs or concerns they may have.

Take Notes

Taking notes during interactions with members will help you form accurate impressions and keep track of important details. This will ensure that you understand your member’s needs and can provide the best possible service.

Be Flexible and Patient

No two days are alike; this means that you need to be flexible when it comes to your work schedule. If something comes up that requires your attention, be sure to adjust as necessary. This will minimise the impact on your members and allow you to give the best possible service.

It can be tough work dealing with people with disabilities, but it is essential that you remain patient and flexible. People with disabilities may have unique needs that require a different approach than what you are used to. Be sure to adapt your approach as needed in order to provide the best possible service.

Take Time for Yourself

You are an important part of the disability support worker team, so don't forget to take time for yourself. This means setting aside time to relax and recharge after a long day of work. You will be more productive and able to provide the best possible service when you are well-rested. Don’t forget to ask for help if you need it.

Be Organised and Professional

Being organised and professional is essential when working as a disability support worker. This will help you keep track of your work schedule and meet the needs of your members. It is also important to dress appropriately for the occasion, so that you project a positive image to your members.

Be Honest and Upfront

When providing service, be honest and upfront with your members. This will help them know what's expected from them and help prevent any confusion or misunderstandings. Honesty is also key in building trust between you and your member.

Stay In Touch

It is important to stay in touch with your members throughout their journey. This way, you can provide updates on their progress and offer support if needed. It is also helpful to keep in touch to ensure that you are aware of any changes or updates that may occur in their lives.

Use Technology Wisely

Technology can be a great tool for disability support workers. This means using technology to keep track of your work schedule, communicate with members, and document your work. As long as you are aware of the risks associated with using technology, it can be a valuable tool in your disability support worker arsenal.

Learn New Skills

Keep learning! This way, you will be able to provide the best possible service to your members. There are always new tools and techniques available that can help you provide better support.

If you are interested in becoming a disability support worker, be sure to check out our website for more information. We have a variety of resources that will help you get started on your career path.

Stay Connected to Your Community

Being a disability support worker is a rewarding experience. Stay connected to your community and continue learning new skills so that you can provide the best possible service to your members. Look out for interesting and inclusive activities so that your member can be involved with their community and develop important communication skills.

Have Fun!

Having fun while working as a disability support worker is essential. Not only will having fun help you relax and stay productive, but it will also make your members feel more welcome and comfortable.

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Want to learn more? Read our article on the qualities that make a great disability support worker .

How do you apply to become a support worker

Below is the process of becoming a Support Worker with Ascend Health, but you can use this as a guide for other companies.

Check that you meet the criteria

At Ascend Health, we try to do things a little differently. We only hire Support Workers who are studying a health science degree at University such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Nursing or Medicine. By doing this, we are able to provide members with passion and dedicated providers with a background of knowledge in healthcare and disability. Whilst we will need to ensure you are a health science student, we also make sure you display the qualities that make a great Support Worker such as passion, empathy, patience, reliability, initiative and confidence. If you believe you hold these qualities, then we would strongly encourage you to apply for a role as a Support Worker!

Apply for the role

If you believe you meet the criteria above then it’s time for you to apply! To apply for a role all you need to do is complete a short form on our website and email your resume to hello@ascendhealthgroup.com.au

Complete an interview

If your application interests us, you will be asked to be interviewed by our recruitment officer. It is always best to prepare for the interview and think about your answers to some questions that may be asked such as what skills and experience you have and what qualities do you have that will make you a great Support Worker. You may also be given a few scenarios where we will ask how you would make decisions in challenging situations.

Access the online provider portal

If your interview was successful, congratulations, you are on your way to joining the Ascend Health team as a Support Worker. We will get you started by setting up a provider profile for you on Ascend Health Plus , from here we will ask you to upload your mandatory checks such as your National Police Clearance, First Aid Certificate and Working With Children Check - just to name a few. Once we have these or assisted you with arranging them we will provide you with a contract and some more fun admin tasks!

Orientation

Up next is orientation, this is an opportunity to learn the fundamental concepts of the disability sector. This is a 3 part workshop covering topics such as the NDIS funding, restrictive practices, empathy based care and much much more. This is a great opportunity to connect with our Senior Therapists to gain extensive insight and advice before beginning your role as a Support Worker.

Begin your job Trial

To make sure you are trained and comfortable settling into your role as a Support Worker. You will begin a job trial by assisting a Senior Experienced Support Worker on their sessions with members. This is a great opportunity to observe, learn and gain confidence in your role as a Support Worker.

Start solo sessions with your members

Congratulations! You will now commence sessions with your very own members. This is an opportunity to build great relationships with your members and provide comprehensive care that ultimately makes a big difference in their lives.

Source: https://www.ascendhealthgroup.com.au/news/working-as-a-support-worker

Recruiting, retaining and empowering the aged care workforce

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 04:37:15 GMT

Four practical steps providers can take now to support our aged care workers

Aged care workers are the beating heart of their sector and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (aged care royal commission) says they play a critical part in the aged care experience for older Australians and their families. In its final report, the aged care royal commission acknowledged the complex task of recruiting, retaining and empowering a workforce that’s capable of delivering the quality of care that Australians expect. So how do we achieve this?

Many of the challenges facing workers are systemic, and workforce design must be reconfigured across the entire aged care sector. While systemic changes are a longer-term prospect, many of which are dependent on additional funding for the sector, there are practical steps individual providers can take to support workers in the shorter term. From creating a compelling value proposition , to facilitating ongoing professional development, providers can seize the initiative to attract and retain workers to support the provision of exceptional care for some of the most vulnerable in the community.

And the benefits to providers of a refreshed aged care workforce strategy are significant. Beyond this, workforce performance has the largest impact on delivery of care, the experience of consumers and their families and on compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards. A positive and supportive worker experience underpins high-quality, person-centred care and, ultimately, the aged care royal commission’s “virtuous circle”. The aged care workforce also represents the single biggest operational cost to be managed sustainably.

Challenges to attracting and retaining aged care workers

The royal commission’s final report highlights the vital role of our aged care workforce. Yet it’s a workforce that faces many challenges.

For a start, aged care roles are demanding. Work is often physically and emotionally taxing, and poor workplace design and working conditions can hamper workers’ abilities to carry out their roles. Job insecurity is a problem, and part time, casual and shift work is the norm. There’s only a narrow pipeline of new recruits entering the sector and understaffing is a chronic issue, compounded by constrained skilled migration and heightened competition for talent with adjacent sectors. Add to this the impacts of COVID-19 on the sector, and it’s clear the royal commission’s call for reform is now more urgent than ever.

At the same time, our aged care workforce is woefully undervalued by society. The fallout from the royal commission has fuelled negative publicity about the sector, meanwhile Australia is often slow to celebrate the work of our aged care workers. This is damaging, and can actively discourage people from entering the aged care workforce. We need to lift public perceptions of aged care work, and recognise the extraordinary contribution of these individuals in caring for older Australians.

Toby Hall, CEO, St Vincent’s Health Australia told PwC in 2020: “We have spent the past six months acknowledging and celebrating the sacrifice and dedication of frontline healthcare workers in the face of the [COVID-19] pandemic, and rightfully so. But I will never understand how, despite showing exactly the same traits and often working under equally trying circumstances, we [Australians] continue to largely overlook the contribution of the thousands of people who work in aged care.”

Listen: PwC’s podcast series exploring the future of work

Sector-wide skills shortages

The gap between supply and demand for aged care workers has widened, even since the royal commission’s interim report in 2019. What’s more, the shortfall in workers is expected to worsen. The royal commission reported an estimated need for more than 130,000 additional, full-time equivalent workers by 2050 - a 70% increase on current levels. In-principle government acceptance of a national registration scheme (recommendation 79) and a minimum Certificate III qualification (recommendation 78), both of which will be initiated through a code of conduct mechanism and national register administered by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, may further exacerbate this gap in the short term.

Currently, supply relies heavily on an international and migrant workforce – a supply that has been curbed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Also, because of worker concerns over job and income security, it’s common for individuals to be employed by multiple providers. We saw the problems associated with this model during the COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria last year, when workers were travelling between care homes for shifts, potentially spreading the virus.

Consideration must be given to how the sector can best invest in its workforce to ensure adequate capacity in the system. This must be done not just to balance workloads, but also to guarantee safety of care.

Collectively, we need to consider where Australia’s future aged care workforce will come from, as well as how we can encourage people to consider aged care as a career path and then stay in the sector long-term. The introduction of an Aged Care Advisory Council represents a positive step towards addressing this challenge and understanding the perspectives of those working in the sector. However, significant effort will be required to overcome known and new barriers to entering the aged care workforce.

We know, for example, that Australia’s labour market has experienced high levels of unemployment as a result of COVID-19. What opportunities exist to attract a new cohort of people to reskill for work in aged care? The newly announced 34,000 subsidised aged care training places may assist with filling the skills gap, but will not be sufficient to meet anticipated demand. How can we attract the right level of skill without making registration requirements and higher qualifications a significant barrier to entry? Are we adequately considering the skills mix and roles that will deliver quality and safe care to older Australians? These are key questions for the sector to answer in the immediate future.

Practical action providers can take

Of course, any structural changes to the sector must be matched by the actions of providers. The need for a comprehensive aged care workforce strategy and planning agenda is as relevant for individual providers as it is for the system as a whole. At PwC Australia, we have identified four steps that individual providers can take to attract, support and retain aged care workers as the cornerstone for high quality and person-centred care.

1) Attracting and motivating talent

While the federal government has noted recommendations in the aged care royal commission’s final report for better industrial standards, including reviewing award rates and remuneration, it has left this with the current Health Workers Union Fair Work Commission application to increase award rates. No doubt a wages and conditions uplift will encourage more workers to choose a career in aged care. It will then be up to providers to attract and motivate a high performing workforce for their organisation.

Providers should clearly articulate their complete employee value proposition to secure new talent. Notably, people attracted to working in aged care are often motivated by altruistic reasons. So, providers should consider this when recruiting potential employees through a clear and genuine commitment to the values and philosophies supporting high quality care. Diversity of talent will also be key to developing an organisation that is culturally competent to meet the holistic needs of an increasingly diverse community.

It's also important that hiring managers address negative preconceptions and communicate the important and positive aspects of being part of the aged care workforce. This includes addressing concerns about the challenging and emotionally demanding work environment, the risks around safety, and the perceived value of roles. It’s important to also outline the organisation’s formal and informal health and wellbeing initiatives and identify opportunities to introduce new and innovative programs to support and engage the workforce.

2) Developing the right skills

Empowering workers to upskill via clear career pathways is critical to maintaining and strengthening the workforce. It is widely known that the current aged care workforce consists mostly of workers that are considered lower skilled (those with a Certificate III or below). But consumer expectations and needs have increased , and clear links have been established between professional development, provider compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards and the delivery of high quality care.

Investing in education provides workers with the space to continuously grow and learn, strengthens the delivery of safe, high-quality care and supports regulatory compliance. Ongoing professional development is a must. This empowers everyone in the workforce, including higher-skilled clinicians who need to be enabled to operate at the peak of their ability and share their skills and knowledge with others. Specialty education in areas such as dementia, palliative and wound care will upskill workers in fundamental and essential areas of need for consumers.

Providers can also encourage skills alignment and operational efficiency by redesigning or creating new roles. Empowering people to work to the top of their scope/qualification will in turn create new, entry-level roles that are more easily filled to address some of the projected workforce gap. Role redesign includes focusing on the digital skills of workers . Boosting digital literacy paves the way to introduce innovative ways of working and new models of care, such as at-home care and virtual care .

3) Supporting cultural competency

Individuals working in an aged care setting need to respect a range of cultural backgrounds and understand the diverse needs of residents, and providers must support this cultural competency. For many years the aged care workforce has been incredibly diverse and yet the focus has been on providing the same offering to all recipients. As the sector focuses on responding to individualised consumer needs, providers need to facilitate training and education for their workforce to ensure they can keep up.

Our ageing population includes many people from different ethnic and spiritual backgrounds. The aged care workforce needs to be able to recognise and respond to the needs of individuals, so as to deliver holistic care at all stages of their aged care journey.

Cultural preferences can govern everything from meals to care delivery, and the aged care workforce needs to be cognisant of this at all times to ensure consistently respectful interactions and maintain the dignity of care recipients.

We also know that it is common for people living with dementia to revert to their first spoken tongue (even if they were previously fluent in English). For these people in particular, aged care can be a daunting experience and confusion and frustration can turn into challenging behaviours if not managed carefully.

As a part of this there is a strong need to improve the awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture within the aged care setting. In its submission to the royal commission, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation recommended cultural safety become a mandatory part of staff and care home accreditation, urging all team members to receive regular cultural safety training to improve the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care. In 2016-2017, fewer than 1% of all aged care residents were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, although they make up more than 3% of the Australian population, and for this to change the sector must prove its commitment and ability to deliver culturally safe care2.

4) Leading collaboration and safety

Providers must shift towards more collaborative ways of working in order to prioritise safety and quality of care. This includes turning up the dial on shared ways of working, transparency and trust, especially as more multi-disciplinary teams emerge in aged care. This will also lead to the identification of opportunities for more efficient allocation of resources which will be needed to balance staffing costs and allocation in anticipation of the introduction of legislated minimum staffing requirements.

A strong culture is key. Aged care settings must promote a culture that recognises and rewards good performance while also providing clear accountability for substandard performance.

Here, capable leadership is essential. Providers must dedicate time and investment to nurturing and building leaders at all levels of the organisation in order to create a culture of care, collaboration and safety.

Source: https://www.pwc.com.au/health/aged-care-royal-commission/workforce.html

Tips for Working in Aged Care

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:05:16 GMT

Entering an aged care facility as a new starter or on student placement can be daunting if you don’t know what to expect. While no one facility is the same and residents are different in each, you can bring the right attitude to any facility. Similar to How to Become a Leader in Aged Care , this article will provide the tips you need to ensure you can confidently meet the challenges you’ll face day-to-day in your new facility.

Good Communication & Listening

The ability to effectively communicate is an important part of any job but for aged care, it is essential. A personal care worker that can communicate clearly is one that is able to provide the care that is required. They should be able to sit down, spend time with them and really be engaged in the moment.

On the other side of communication is listening and it can be taken for granted whether or not it is a trait in itself. In aged care, learning to listen to residents can help you to observe when they aren’t feeling themselves, and this could be due to some deeper issue they can’t or don’t want to, tell you about.

Be Prepared to Multi-Task

Every day is different in aged care and the schedule for the day and the tasks within it are sure to change throughout. Daily tasks could include cooking, cleaning and making sure your client gets to their appointments on time which can become overwhelming if done task-by-task. It might be difficult at first but over time, and with enough practice, you can find a balance that ensures some tasks can be juggled together.

Being Physically Fit Helps

The aged care industry is a physical one and workers spend a majority of the day on their feet. It is also required that aged care workers assist residents with mobility issues, which can often demand some physical exertion. While aged care staff are not expected to be as fit or as strong as Olympic athletes, you need to be prepared for the physical demands of the job to avoid the possibility of injury.

Be Supportive, Caring & Patient

These three traits might seem obvious but to ensure you deliver the best care to residents, they are perhaps the most essential for an aged care worker. Becoming old can make life difficult and residents want more than any medication, someone to make them feel cared for and heard. This extends to how you support them throughout their day by helping them with their routines, which can make a real difference in their lives.

However, due to residents being their own people and the unique personalities that come with that, they can also present many challenges. The same type of care won’t work for everyone, so it is important to be adaptable and patient with each of the residents under your care.

Attitude & Initiative

In order to enjoy a long and positive career in aged care, having the right attitude at the beginning and maintaining it, can make sure that happens. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or present questions to your fellow staff members, because you are all there for the same reasons, to care for and serve the residents.

Another great tip you can take to your first shift and beyond, is to become a hands-on participant rather than an observer. This is especially helpful when dealing with those tasks that might seem menial – like cleaning and washing – but when done with initiative, these opportunities can really help out the wider team, and of course, the residents. Thinking of a career in aged care? MyPath Education can help get you there!

SOURCE https://mypatheducation.edu.au/news/tips-for-working-in-aged-care/

Unlocking Job Reference Potential for Career Advancement

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 03:41:05 GMT

Unlock the potential of your job references with our expert guide. Learn how to select, prepare, and leverage references effectively to boost your career prospects.

Thoughtful Selection: Carefully consider who to include as references. Choose individuals who are familiar with your work, skills, and character. Ideal references include former supervisors, colleagues, professors, or mentors who can provide insight into your abilities and achievements.

Request Permission: Always seek permission from your potential references before including them on your reference list. This courtesy not only ensures their willingness but also allows them to prepare for potential contact from prospective employers.

Collect Comprehensive Contact Information: Gather complete and up-to-date contact information for each reference. This should include their full name, current job title, company name, phone number, and email address. Keep this information organized and easily accessible.

Create a Well-Formatted Reference List: Develop a separate reference list document that complements your job application materials. Include your own contact information at the top, followed by a clear and professional-looking header. List your references beneath, providing their names, titles, current employers, phone numbers, and email addresses. Format the list consistently and legibly.

Tailor References for the Role: Customize your reference list for each job application. Highlight references who can specifically attest to your qualifications, skills, and experiences relevant to the position you're pursuing. Offering targeted references can provide employers with a more pertinent perspective on your candidacy.

These steps will help you create a well-organized and effective reference list that can support your job applications and enhance your chances of securing the desired position.

How to make your cover letter stand out from the crowd

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:31:06 GMT

Making your cover letter stand out from the crowd is crucial in grabbing the attention of potential employers. Here are some tips to help you create an impactful and unique cover letter:

1. Personalisation:

Address the cover letter to a specific person, ideally the hiring manager. Avoid generic greetings like "To Whom It May Concern." Show that you've done your research on the company and mention specific details about the company's mission, recent achievements, or projects that resonate with you.

2. Customisation:

Tailor your cover letter for each job application. Highlight relevant skills, experiences, and achievements that directly relate to the position you're applying for. Use keywords from the job description to demonstrate your fit.

3. Engaging Opening:

Start with a compelling opening that immediately grabs the reader's attention. Share an anecdote, a relevant quote, or a personal experience that relates to the job or the company.

4. Showcase Achievements:

Instead of just listing job duties, focus on your accomplishments. Use quantifiable results to demonstrate the impact you've made in previous roles. Numbers and metrics can make your achievements more impressive and tangible.

5. Unique Storytelling:

Share a brief and relevant personal story that showcases your skills, values, and passion for the field. Storytelling can make your cover letter more memorable and relatable.

6. Highlight Transferable Skills:

If you're switching industries or roles, emphasise transferable skills that are applicable to the position. Explain how your diverse background can bring a fresh perspective and new insights.

7. Match Company Culture:

Research the company culture and values, and align your cover letter with them. Show that you not only have the skills but also the mindset to thrive within the organisation.

8. Professional Formatting:
Use a clean and professional format that is easy to read. Use a professional font, appropriate margins, and consistent formatting throughout the letter.

9. Grammar and Proofreading:

Thoroughly proofread your cover letter for grammar and spelling errors. A well-written and error-free letter shows attention to detail and professionalism.

10. Call to Action:

Conclude your cover letter with a strong call to action, expressing your desire for an interview or further discussion. Provide your contact information and let the employer know you're looking forward to the opportunity to discuss how you can contribute to the company.

Remember, the goal of your cover letter is to stand out while conveying your qualifications, passion, and fit for the position. Show that you've put thought and effort into crafting a personalised letter that speaks directly to the company's needs.

Climbing the Career Ladder: A Guide to Progressing in Your Current Job

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 03:07:10 GMT

Advancing in your career is an exciting journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and strategic planning. Whether you're just starting out or have been in your current job for a while, this article aims to provide you with practical tips and insights on how to progress up the career ladder within your current organisation.

1. Set Clear Goals:

To begin your journey towards career advancement, it's crucial to set clear and achievable goals. Take some time to reflect on where you want to be in the future and what steps you need to take to get there. By defining your goals, you can create a roadmap that will guide your actions and decisions.

2. Seek Feedback:

Feedback is a valuable tool for personal and professional growth. Actively seek feedback from your supervisors, colleagues, and mentors to understand your strengths and areas for improvement. Embrace constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity to enhance your skills and performance.

3. Expand Your Skill Set:

To stand out and progress in your current job, continuously expand your skill set. Identify the skills that are in demand within your industry and organisation, and invest time in developing them. This can be done through online courses, workshops, or seeking out challenging assignments that allow you to learn and grow.

4. Take Initiative:

Demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment by taking initiative in your current role. Look for opportunities to contribute beyond your assigned tasks and take on additional responsibilities. This proactive approach will not only showcase your dedication but also help you gain visibility within the organisation.

5. Build Relationships:

Building strong professional relationships is essential for career advancement. Network with colleagues, attend industry events, and engage in conversations with professionals in your field. Cultivating a strong network can open doors to new opportunities, mentorship, and valuable connections.

6. Seek Growth Opportunities:

Keep an eye out for growth opportunities within your organisation. This could include internal job postings, cross-functional projects, or special assignments. Express your interest in these opportunities to your supervisors and demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the role.

7. Embrace Continuous Learning:

In today's rapidly evolving work environment, it's crucial to embrace a mindset of continuous learning. Stay updated with industry trends, new technologies, and best practices. This will not only enhance your expertise but also position you as a valuable asset to your organisation.

Climbing the career ladder in your current job requires a combination of ambition, dedication, and strategic planning. By setting clear goals, seeking feedback, expanding your skill set, taking initiative, building relationships, seeking growth opportunities, and embracing continuous learning, you can position yourself for success and advancement within your organisation. Remember, progress takes time, so stay focused, stay motivated, and enjoy the journey towards achieving your career goals.

How to stand out from the competition

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 03:22:07 GMT

Here are some tips that can help you make a great impression:

1. Customise your application

Tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific job you are applying for. Highlight your relevant skills and experience, and show how they align with the requirements of the position.

2. Do your research

Learn as much as you can about the company and the job you are applying for. This will help you understand the company culture and values, and allow you to demonstrate how you can contribute to the organisation.

3. Network

Reach out to people in your industry or at the company you are interested in. Attend networking events, connect with people on LinkedIn, and ask for informational interviews. This can help you learn more about the company and potentially get your foot in the door.

4. Showcase your achievements

Instead of just listing your job duties, highlight your accomplishments and how you added value to your previous roles. Use specific examples and metrics to demonstrate your impact.

5. Follow up

After submitting your application, follow up with a thank-you email or note. This shows that you are interested in the position and helps you stand out from other candidates.

By following these tips, you can increase your chances of standing out from other candidates and landing your dream job.

How to figure out your career path when you're unsure

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 00:56:34 GMT

Navigating a career path when you're uncertain can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to gain clarity and make informed decisions:

1. Assess your interests and strengths: Make a list of your hobbies, things you enjoy doing, and the skills you possess. Try to find career paths that align with your passions and abilities.

2. Research different fields: Use online resources to research different industries and professions.
Take note of what the job entails, salary range, and education requirements.

3. Seek advice from professionals: Reach out to people in your desired field and ask them about their career path. Ask about their daily work life, the challenges they faced, and how they managed to overcome them.

4. Consider further education or training: If you don't have the necessary qualifications for a specific job, consider taking classes or courses to gain the relevant skills and knowledge.

5. Seek guidance from a career counselor: Career counselors can help you figure out what you want to do by providing you with assessments and guidance based on your interests, skills, and values.

Remember, choosing a career path takes time, so don't rush the process. Take some time to reflect on your goals and values to help guide you in the right direction.

5 Top Ways to Maximise Your Job Search Efforts

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 04:29:27 GMT

Finding the right job in today's competitive job market needs a planned strategy. To assist you in landing your dream job, we've put together fivetop-notch strategies that will help your job search efforts and provide greater outcomes.

1. Resume and Cover Letter

Get your resume and cover letter in order - seek professional help if required but be confident in the documents which will be the first thing a potential employer will see. Your aim with your resume is to end up in the "Yes" bundle and progress to interview stage.

2. Target Your Market

So many times I have asked people what jobs they want to apply for and they simply don't know. This is a fatal flaw and generally leads people to applying for hundreds of jobs that they do not really want and don't have the skills for. Determine your target market and this will provide you with a much better success rate in your applications.

3. Track Your Applications

Finding a job is a job in itself and I advise my clients to treat it like a project. Setup a simple Excel spread sheet and track all your applications in terms of dates, job titles, company names, contacts and status. Be sure to follow up on your applications if you have not received a response - this can open up doors and lead to potential interviews!

4. Approach Companies Not Currently Hiring

So everyone applies for jobs with business who are advertising thus increased competition. Why not apply to companies who are not hiring? Create a list of companies you feel would be interested in your skills and send them your resume and cover letter with an introduction. Who knows? They could be planning on hiring in a number of weeks and you could have just saved them time, effort and money by being the right candidate!

5. Keep Your Chin Up

Finding a new job can be quite stressful and often people find rejection difficult after not being successful with an application. Best advice here is to remain positive, seek feedback from HR personnel and Recruiters and use this to improve your application tactics. Remember, it only takes one call and some interviews to land your dream job. Just keep applying and keep trying.

Implementing these five strategic techniques can help you maximize your job search efforts, boost your exposure, and eventually increase your chances of landing a job that is a perfect fit for your career goals.