Working Christmas

As you power down your desktop at work for yet another year and your thoughts drift to happy times around the dinner table celebrating Christmas with family and friends remember in these modern times, even compared to just 20 years ago, many people remained at work to keep the wheels of commerce turning. Police and emergency services staff, utility services workers, hospitality and supermarket shelf stackers to name but a few!

But historically, seasonal Christmas labour was far worse than just stocking shelves.

In Roman times the Christmas season as it was to become meant the house slave had his hands full collecting the vomit of his masters as they feasted on their Christmas lunch. In the Medieval era, ‘faggoters’ worked their fingers to the bone collecting forest sticks and binding them together in freezing weather to sell them for a pittance to fuel the Christmas fire, and boar hunters risked life and limb to track the piece de resistance of the Christmas table – a boar’s head.

The Irish and Scottish kelp collectors of Georgian times had the unenviable task of rising at 3am to collect 20 tons of seaweed before boiling it down to make one ton of soda – the magical chemical that kept the linen tablecloths snowy white underneath all that Christmas fare. And in Victorian times – an era where gas lighting was dim – some brave man had to cook up the highly flammable and dangerous chemical concoction whose phosphorescence illuminated the stage of the Christmas pantomime – the original ‘limelight’. Meanwhile, some other lucky actor had to be the back end of the Christmas pantomime’s cow…

Even worse, Victorian children as young as four worked in sweatshop conditions to create beautiful dolls which would cost more than the child’s annual wage – gifts for other rich children to find beneath the Christmas tree.

And which lucky soul got to pluck, stuff and cook hundreds of turkeys for an aristocrat’s Christmas celebrations? Or had to cut the traditional forest ‘Yule Log’ in sub-zero temperatures? Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, these are the worst Christmas jobs ever.

So just savour your Christmas break that little bit more and spread a little Christmas cheer to those who find themselves toiling away on the big day.

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[1] Channel 4 UK 2007, ‘Worst Jobs in History’

How will the workplace respond to the continuing changes in Climate, Demographics and Technology?

Despite Copenhagen limping to a lacklustre close the issue of climate change remains. According to the UN millions of jobs worldwide could eventually be casualties of climate change, though efforts to mitigate its effects will also create huge new waves of employment.

The UN believes global warming could in time decimate the world fisheries sector, threaten the tourism industry and cause widespread job losses among those displaced by its impacts. At the same time they also predict scores of new jobs will be created in the environmental technology sector as countries work to avoid and lessen the effects of climate change.

Global warming and the need to respond to climate change is becoming a major impulse for innovation and efficiency gains. It will require major adjustments for both businesses and workers whose livelihoods may be at risk in the future. A recent poll said that global warming concerns were having a “fairly” or “very” big impact on the operations of more than 70 percent of businesses. This seems to stem from uncertainty of future government actions to restrict carbon emissions. Depending on just what these government actions are, the effect on manufacturers and factory workers over coming years will be nil or substantial.

From an employment perspective the problem is that the jobs that will be created will not be created at the same time, nor in the same place, as the ones that are lost. We are talking about a major change, as substantial as what resulted in the industrial revolution. As we lift from a world recession there is plenty of spare labour capacity but this is likely to be soaked up over the coming years as we return to a skilled labour shortage.

Nonetheless, we should expect an increasing technical unemployment, where there are jobs to fill and labour to fill it however, the labour does not have the requisite skills to be employed in the available roles. So retraining will become an increasing industry in its own right.

In the past a person entering the workforce after university could expect to be in the employment for 40 to 45 years after which time they would retire with a government funded pension. For someone entering the workforce today the outlook is very different indeed. The demographic changes that have been underway for many years will by this time have delivered us an aged population where the government retirement pension if it exists at all will be only for the most in need i.e. those already of some form of benefit. At best there may be some government supplements provided to regular retirees based on a means test. What this means is that most future workers will, should they wish or need to retire need to become predominantly self funded. This fact when combined with increased work opportunities due to skilled labour shortages will increase the age of retirement for most people even if it is only on a part-time basis.

Therefore there are a number of implications for the workforce of tomorrow:

1. Recognise you will likely be in some form of employment for 50 to 55 years with no formal retirement but perhaps reducing hours worked from 65 to 75 years of age;
2. You will need to accumulate sufficient superannuation contributions to support yourself for a further 25 years (based on retirement at 75 and living until 100) after you retire formally;
3. To stay in employment throughout the 50 plus years you’ll be working, you will need to retrain for a new career several times as the jobs that you will hold in 20 years from now don’t currently exist and in 40 years these future jobs won’t exist themselves;
4. To remain attractive to an employer you will need to be tech savvy, open to and thrive on change, have an unquenchable thirst for new knowledge, skills and training and possess the ability to communicate and manage staff whether internally or externally.

Particular professions that we currently know about that will remain in demand are broadly technology workers, programmers, content writers, project managers medical technology workers and thankfully global talent recruiters.

The key message for staff today whatever phase of life you are in is to stay up to date with current and future technology, keep up your networks and maintain your professional knowledge and expertise. The final and most difficult yet the most important thing you can do is to keep your antennae tuned to changes in industry that both threaten and provide new opportunities. By noticing these changes early you can take steps early to reposition yourself career wise or indeed exploit the opportunities. It is often very easy when busily employed to become oblivious to the changes going on around you much like the frog in the gradually boiling water!

If you thought the rate of change in the world could not increase, think again and strap yourself in as we welcome in the next decade. A few futurists think that society is headed toward a time soon when the rate of change becomes virtually infinite. This implies that change will not only become more rapid but also more complex, more turbulent and more unpredictable. Organisations will be more easily caught off-guard by new inventions, competitors or business models because of the speed at which events occur. This will make it harder to forecast market growth, customer demand, product life cycles, and the business environment in general.

From this we can see the most attractive attributes a future employer will see in potential staff, namely versatility, flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Plan your career to show a track record of such behaviour and employers will beat a path to your door.

Recruitment Trends Master Recruiters Understand

Thanks to advancing technologies, most job postings can be easily applied to with a few mouse clicks. The convenience provided to the applicant lays the foundation for recruiter overload as unqualified applications make their way to recruiter desks.

Seasoned recruiters know what to look for when weeding through these applications, making their RORI (return on recruiting investment) almost guaranteed. To do this, it’s important that both employees and employers to understand the recruitment trends that affect both global and local employment markets.

Education
Education remains the most consistent Top-3 factor of every recruiter. From fast food restaurants to ASX-200 companies, education (or sometimes the lack thereof) is a key indicator of an applicant’s potential to perform.

Diversity
In an economy where every single dollar counts, it is important that recruiters make conscious efforts to attract and retain the best-fit employees while ensuring diversity. Fortunately, the global push and affordability of formal education has simplified the recruiting of diverse groups as qualified applicants are more accessible than ever before.

Work Culture
As baby boomers retire and make way for Generation Y to enter the workforce, so does the shift in the work culture. Employees are no longer comfortable committing themselves to regulated 8-hour suit and tie stints, and prefer jobs where the benefits include dressed down attire and the ability to work from home on occasion. Savvy recruiters are the ones that identify the applicants who willingly (and consistently) produce more by working on their own terms.

Benefits
When employees are happy, retainment is easy. That’s why providing benefits that grow with an employee is essential. Companies that anticipate the core needs of employees (marriage, family size increase, moving to accommodate space needs, health issues, etc.) will fair better than those who are seen as inflexible and limited. Offering benefits that are dynamic in scope will appeal to most applicants.

Recruitment has always been twofold. For employers, recruitment involves the garnering of the most qualified candidates at rates that don’t undercut their company’s bottom line; for employees landing a position in a healthy environment that allows for growth while receiving a wage that attests to their worth is key. Understanding what drives both sides is what builds a master recruiter.

‘High-Tech, High Touch’: Why Work-Life Balance is a Job Requirement

Work-Life Balance. This once radical insight, introduced and popularised by John Naisbitt in his 1982 bestseller Megatrends is now so stock in workplace jargon that it almost fails to resonate. As trends changed from the man bringing home the bacon to dual incomes, so too did the concept of “normal” households as we knew them.

It’s ironic, because if anything , as all effective business entities and their components understand, the message – essentially a call for balance—far from being a truism, holds truer today than ever before. It’s still part of managing life well.

Whatever your role: employee, employer or recruitment facilitator,  individual or organization, private or public sector, national or international the need to pay more than lip service to some semblance of work-life balance is undeniable.

This isn’t simply some one sided, “politically correct” sort of optional benefit to pamper employees but rather a sound and pragmatic business essential that yields dividends for employers too.

From the corporate and trainer standpoint, putting the finer aspects of human personalities and needs aside, you really don’t want people to burn themselves out. The best people in another irony often tend to do just that. They’ll soldier on while their colleagues are happily on holiday, they’ll drag themselves to work when lesser souls would stay home with the slightest sniffle.

The end result of these corporate soldiers is total focus on the business with less focus on the life outside the office that keeps them balanced. Counterproductive to say the least, even in the short term and over time all kinds of unforeseen and undesirable consequences can result.

3 ways to ensure your company shows best practice with employee work-life balance include:

- offering flexitime hours for employees to accommodate their life outside of work;
- compressing work weeks that allow employees to work more hours for a shorter number of days;
- allowing telecommuting during some portion of the work week.

When “Good” is “Bad”: The Overly Zealous Employee

In the changing world of work, the virtues of yesteryear can seem quite the opposite in the contexts and complexities of the 2010 workforce environment.

Take the reasons underlying  employee absenteeism.  Overall, every successful organisation wants the highest possible productivity on the corporate as well as  individual levels, but in order to achieve that the work ethic must be cultivated in context.

In other words, you want people to come to work instead of finding excuses to stay home, but not at the sacrifice of “duty” over reason.

Our current global environment is rife with such features as the swine flu pandemic in progress (which may be milder than many predicted, but let’s not forget that pandemics are not known for predictability and can last up to three years characterised by fluctuating waves of activity).

In such a complicated and high-stakes scenario, old-fashioned virtues can turn into modern liabilities.

For example, it is no longer regarded as a good thing for employees to come to work when they’re feeling under the weather. Gone are the days when HR  perhaps then termed the Personnel Department, would turn a blind eye to the diligent and conscientious on staff who would report to their jobs no matter what come flood, pestilence or cyclone.

If your loyal call centre employee not only sounds at the brink of death, it’s off-putting to clients on the other end of the phone, plus the other staff won’t appreciate being subjected to what evere it is they are suffering from. Good intentions, unfortunate consequences.

Genuine dedication is one thing and should be suitably encouraged and recognized but the era of admiring self-sacrificing martyrs is long gone.

Misapplied diligence is no longer diligence; it’s a detriment and needs to be actively monitored by today’s managers and executives and administered in a uniform and consistent way to protect all in the workforce…sometimes even against themselves.

Fostering a Healthy Work Eco-System & Removing People Pollutants

A healthy work eco-system fosters an environment in which independent parts of a business seamlessly flow into and out of other parts to produce a successful whole. When a company’s eco-system works the entire operation succeeds and problems in the workflow are typically easily identified. Providing and sustaining a healthy work eco-system is as essential to a successful company as each sale that’s closed and each employee on payroll that generates that sale.

A poor work environment yields a poor and diminishing payoff with its work staff, increases employee turnover rates and contributes to low moral in the workplace. To be productive and profitable all aspects need to work in concert.

Even as seasoned recruiters and employers know the truth of such a philosophy and practice they also know it doesn’t come about overnight nor is it always so easy to implement. Further, just as in nature, the business and work realms are not static environments but instead require constant feedback and adjustment.

Good recruiters,  that is effective ones, won’t continue to be particularly effective if they know they’re sending good hires into bad situations full of undue work stress and strain. What makes a good environment and also helps keep a good employee is a recruiter that can identify those who will transition well into the  eco-system that is currently in place. This requires experience, an understanding of personality types and the ability to listen when candidates talk – whether it be on paper, face to face or through references provided.

Good employees for their part, need to be cultivated and nourished so that they can thrive and contribute to the corporate good. In addition, work eco-systems need to be able to remove (or relocate) those who pollute them.

Regular inquiries into the health of the overall system are required to ensure that productivity patterns are monitored, the needs of those in the system are being nurtured and that the flow between the parts of the work environment remain intact at all times.

Learn What Really Drives Employees

Ask employers what’s most important to the employees who help drive the company and most will say that salary is top of the list. Obviously salaries should be competitive and in line with industry standards and practices but an employee’s loyalty is not about salary alone.

In the real world, employee loyalty is not so easily gauged. A number of studies have shown that what makes employees stay rather than leave (not to mention show up to work day in and day out in the first place) can be about a lot more than just the money they take home.

When the human factor is involved, “value” and “worth” are not always so easily quantifiable and while pay scales and financial rewards are important, they are far from being the only motivating factors for attracting (and keeping) staff. Other and less tangible aspects, like feeling respected and feeling that their contributions to the organisation as a whole are seen and recognised figure large in the grand scheme.

In one 2009 survey of U.S. emergency and first-responder personnel about their likelihood to report for work in a pandemic situation, responses indicated that the most significant factor governing that decision was whether they believed their role and their job position was a meaningful and recognized one in the organization.

The desire for appreciation and recognition found in North America is hardly different here in Australia, New Zealand, southeast Asia or elsewhere in the global workforce. Why people leave an organisation and why people stay at an organization are truly aspects on the same continuum.

When a company values an employee’s worth and contribution to the mission of the business it builds a salient relationship between the two. This relationship builds loyalty, which if respected by the company will outweigh most temptations that may be presented to the employee to leave.

All that said surveys consistantly show that the number one reason employees leave a role is the manager they report to – but that is a topic for a whole other blog!

Company Job Board Recruitment

Most corporations post new vacancies using their online company board recruitment sites. These are usually in the form of a direct link from the corporation’s website to a job board or resume management site. Positions are able to be applied to directly and the information transmitted to human resources or contact information and preferred application methods are listed following each position’s posting. What makes company job board recruitment different from other types of recruitment is both current and prospective employees can view and apply for vacancies.

In some instances internal applicants may have a different process of applying for a position over outside candidates. To foster a “promote from within” environment, management and supervisory position vacancies may first draw from a pool of qualified internal applicants. Usually a company will state a position is only open to internal applicants and the application process usually consists of submitting an updated resume, performance evaluation and supervisor’s recommendation.

Company job board recruitment is also a valuable resource to fill vacancies with outside candidates. Positions for entry-level workers, intern and student workers and management vacancies not filled by the company’s existing workforce are posted. Requirements pertaining to each position’s educational qualifications, industry experience, hours of work and contact information are posted to help qualified candidates make an informed decision regarding the position’s suitability. In the case of multiple positions, online job carts, resume registration and submission capabilities and customisable profiles allow candidates to apply for several roles. In fact one of the best features of a permanent company job board recruitment site is the ease candidates experience when viewing and applying for vacancies over a period of time.

Recruiting via a company website also allows interested candidates to learn about their prospective employer’s history, industries served, types of vacancies hiring for and workplace locations. This information can be used as a resource to prepare for the interview and should be viewed by interested candidates before applying for a vacancy.

Qualities of a Good Recruiter

Recruiting is a job that requires a special talent and those seeking a position as a recruiter must have a distinct type of personality. Qualities of a good recruiter are similar to those found in a good leader: displaying honesty with superiors and subordinates, having a positive attitude regardless of presented circumstance, displaying fortitude and integrity and making others a priority . Possessing these attributes will help ordinary recruitersbe extra-ordinary, rising above those who may be less enthusiastic and lack dedication to the profession.

One of the most overlooked qualities of a good recruiter is having industry knowledge. This not only pertains to the administrative tasks involved with the recruiting process but also the technical knowledge required for various positions. Some of the best types of recruiters are former management professionals in a given industry.

By having previous experience in the industry recruiting for, industry-specific recruiters have a thorough knowledge of the educational requirements, personality traits and professional experience needed to fill each position. In addition, these types of recruiters are able to advise candidates regarding the position’s working conditions and possible career paths.

A good recruiter is able to take previous industry knowledge one step further by keeping abreast of current industry changes including licensing requirements, recommended professional certifications and mandatory position-specific educational and examining requirements.

To assist all candidates, a good recruiter must also keep current with changing employment laws and the whole multitude of other state and federal legislation that impacts on the workplace. This will require career orientated recruiters to undertake continuing education regarding current employment and hiring trends in a specific industry as well as keeping informed with state and federal employment workplace standards.

If you are interested in becoming an extra-ordinary recruiter then it’s time for you to study your industry from every feasible aspect and in turn use this knowledge to stay ahead of the game at all times.

How To Effectively Use Career Websites

One of the easiest ways to prepare for a new career, job interview or performance evaluation is to take advantage of career websites. Great websites to help your career can be as simple as ones offering salary information or detailed, industry specific ones designed to help workers prepare or advance in a given career. Students may also consider their university’s website as one of the resources designed to assist with career planning and entry-level employment opportunities.

Many professional associations have their own career websites. When looking for great websites to help your career these should be at the top of a person’s list. Professional associations provide information regarding licencing, educational requirements, career paths, continuing education opportunities and scholarships. These types of websites will also have job boards dedicated to finding quality professionals in a given field. Depending on the type of industry some may also provide information relating to local chapters where professionals can meet to practice networking skills and learn about the hidden job market.

Other great websites to help your career provide salary information and allow current and prospective industry professionals to gage an idea of their worth. Salary information can be tailored to a local or regional location, and inputs such as position title, years of experience and education can all be used to calculate a realistic compensation guide. This information can be examined by students desiring to enter a profession, prospective employees during the interview process or by current employees during yearly performance evaluations. While a person may not receive the computed salary it is an effective negotiation tool designed to help close the gap between offered and expected compensation.

How Seasonal Jobs Lead To Lifelong Careers

Seasonal jobs are either loved or loathed & doesn’t just relate to picking fruit! Perfect for university students, stay at home parents, prospective career changers or retired people seeking additional income. Some people view seasonal jobs as a temporary only type jobs and will immediately disregard job ads advertising a seasonal position. Not willing to take a chance on this type of position, job seekers may actually be passing on a great opportunity as many seasonal positions can lead to life-long careers.

Whether only needing to hire additional workers for a holiday season or seeking temporary help during an industry’s surge, seasonal workers who perform well at their jobs may be asked to stay on as full-time, part-time, or on-call employees. Even if there are presently no vacancies when a term position is due to expire, outstanding workers may be asked to serve as substitute employees or can be offered a position at another location. This is very true in retail, industrial, hospitality and manufacturing operations. Since these types of businesses operate in shifts and have a variety of operational needs, being offered an open position in another department, during an alternate shift or at a different location is a great and viable possibility.

Expressing interest in a permanent career position should not be mentioned during the interview unless a person knows for sure he/she definitely wants to work long-term for that company. One of the best things seasonal jobs allow for is experimentation. If unsure a particular type of job or company is a good fit, by accepting a seasonal job, a person can decide if this is the right career fit and approach management regarding possible long-term interest before the job’s term ends. If not a good fit, the job seeker has acquired an additional skill to put on his/her resume and because there was a mutual agreement the position would only be temporary, is free to pursue other interests.

Using Job Boards as an Employer

With more and more people using the Internet as a career resource, the number of job boards has increased tenfold. As some of the most qualified candidates no longer read the newspaper to search for jobs, taking advantage of these job boards can help companies find prospective employees who will be interested in the position and dedicated to their company. Unfortunately some job boards are more reputable than others and companies need to be cautious when posting job ads. By spending time and investigating job boards before posting ads employers can take comfort knowing their listing will be read by many interested parties.

A job board containing spam postings or fast-money schemes should be avoided. These types of sites repel interested professionals at first sight and means a quality job posting could get buried amongst lower quality postings or even overlooked. To reach the most interested and qualified job seekers, try posting an ad at a reputable site or submitting the information to a database. Professional associations, universities, labour department offices and other employment related organizations welcome job ads from interested companies as they see these as providing a service to their members.

If choosing to post a job ad online make sure the job ad is highly detailed. This requires more information than a classified as many job boards reach international audiences. Given the internationalness of the internet stating the position is open to local candidates only or those authorised to work in particular area will help eliminate employers receiving resumes from unauthoried workers seeking a visa, those interested in remote employment outside of the area (unless requested) or those who will apply to any position. By tailoring a job ad as specificly as possible including the position’s job location, experience and educational requirements, expected hours and detailed contact information, employers should have no problem finding candidates.

However what you now have is a lot of work ahead of you! In order to protect your employment brand each response must be responded too professionally and in a timely manner. Ideally you would keep a record of the application and make sure each applicant received a copy of your company privacy statement. Now you need to review all the CV’s and  figure out how to assess them. Perhaps you will choose a telephone interview, perhaps then a face to face interview. Don’t forget to prepare a detailed interview question guide to ensure you have a consistant list of questions to assess each candidate on. Oh and make sure you know what questions you are not allowed to ask. Probably you should test their skills somehow and perhaps also use a personality assessment to ensure they will be a cultural fit. Now, if you have a few candidates that are still in the process they will probably be calling you to find out the status of their applications. Now time to reference check. Make sure you research and draw up a suitable questionaire for consistancy and now try and catch half a dozen referee’s prepared to discuss you candidates past performce after three or four calls to each over several days you are likely to have been able to speak to most of them. By now you should have the assessments back and now its time to interpret them. Now what about a second round of interviews but then again you are now so busy and falling behind with your proper job that you decide to take candidate number two and figure that well he he doesn’t turn out after 6 months or so you can go back through the process all over again and still be ahead beacuse you did it yourself and saved on recruitment fees. You are so busy a few months later as you had to sack the new hire and now he is taking you to court for unfair dismissal and you keep getting interupted by people calling about the results of the tests they did because you forget to communicate the fact they were unsuccessful.

Job boards are great but they are not a recruitment process in themselves.

Writing Effective Job Ads

Writing a job ad is a task designed to find a company the most interested and qualified candidates. It certainly requires more than just stating a position’s title and the job’s contact information. As many career orientated individuals are seeking career flexibility, stability and a work-life balance writing a job ad is a task that requires some thought. In order to attract the best talent a company is interested in finding an employee who is knowledgeable, loyal and worth their remuneration. This task begins with the job ad. Prospective employees and their employers should have realistic expectations regarding work hours, job duties and offered remuneration. One of the best ways to express these thoughts is in the job ad.

Setting educational and experience requirements, stating expected job duties and work hours and providing salary and/or benefit information in the job ad will allow interested and qualified candidates to proceed with the next steps of the recruitmrnt process. By not stating this information companies could be losing qualified candidates or wasting valuable time sorting through unqualified applications. Making expectations known from day one a candidate can appreciate the company’s honesty and transparency and will be interested in pursuing employment opportunities.

Providing accurate contact information is one of the most important aspects involved with writing a job ad. Employers need to decide how resumes/applications should be sent and to whom. Stating the required communication method is a must as some companies are overwhelmed by the additional telephone calls some positions receive. Stating the correct department, contact person and submission method will reassure candidates their resumes are sent to the preferred contact and will ensure companies can have their staff and telephone lines free to handle the inflow. Finally, be sure to proof the ad. Check for grammar and verify contact information is correct including email addresses and/or fax numbers. This will help present a professional and  polished image to job seekers.

E-Recruitment Trends

Today’s recruiters whether they be internal or external third party recognise the importance of understanding e-recruitment trends. They know that reaching out to candidates through Internet-based technologies is cost-effective. For example, the employer can reach out to prospective employees by establishing social media profiles on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn. The employer can also create affordable job advertisements on job boards like CareerOne, MyCareer and SixFigureJobs amoung others.

Using the Internet to recruit employees is the first step in leading them through the traditional hiring and training processes. In other words, you can use these technology based strategies to get employees in the door for a job interview. Once candidates make it through the hiring process they have the same needs as all other employees. The only difference is how they became aware of the employment opportunities in your organisation.

If you stay up to date on the latest e-recruitment trends, you can increase your value to your organisation. As a recruiter, you can suggest ways to improve the organisation’s electronic application system to provide more useful data when you need to fill a vacancy. Find ways to tweak the application system to collect better data. The reporting tools can also produce better reports that help you choose the best sourcing methods for meeting future hiring targets.

Recruitment Strategies

Recruitment refers to the organisation’s outreach efforts to attract new employees to jobs in the organisation. The role of the recruiter builds on another HR function – the part of the organisation that studies the workforce and identifies the need for more employees.

One of the major trends facing recruiters and other HR professionals in the 21st century is the large waves of retiring Baby Boomers. Other HR professionals and managers in the organisation should have studied the impact of employee retirement. The recruiter then decides what kinds of candidates will serve as qualified replacements for retirees.

Today’s recruiters use a wide range of strategies to fill vacancies and reduce turnover. While it may be the job of managers to maintain a positive work climate, recruiters help employees to stay longer with the organisation by matching their characteristics with the right vacancies. Recruiters also present the organisation in a positive light while avoiding misrepresentation of what it is like to work for the company.

Each employer relies on recruiters to suggest recruitment strategies. While some employers will stick with a successful mix of recruiting methods that attract qualified workers, other employers take a chance on new strategies made possible by new tech developments (such as e-recruitment innovations).

Employees: Knowing when to hold ‘em & when to fold ‘em

The need to fire the hire comes to us all sad to say. Employee misfits and employee mistakes happen. What matters is how you fix them without making a mess of things.

Being prepared for the inevitable needs to be part of every business continuity and operating plan. Knowing the Exit Strategy up front is just another necessary part of the plan. It’s part of business because it’s a part of life.

From an employer’s standpoint, accomplishing a good hire is worth some planning and some investment. A wise employer works hand in glove with a wise recruiter to accomplish good hires, finding and placing people who have the right competencies and the right combination of personality, experience and talents.

Every now and then however, even the best employers and recruiters can be misled or mistaken in their hiring and staffing decisions.

When those unfortunate situations arise as they inevitably will even in the best of establishments, it’s best to be prepared and act – not harshly or impetuously – but logically and decisively.

Unless an employee is almost literally caught with a hand in the till or (heaven forbid) with a hand on the trigger or some equally or worse malfeasance against property or person, getting rid of an unwanted or undesirable employee is not always as easy as one might think.

Especially in the worlds of government and larger enterprises, employers are held to certain standards of accepted practice and government regulation. You really want to know what you’re doing in this area and if you have even the slightest doubt, make sure you have access to the correct legal advice, practitioners and resources. If you have no doubt make doubly sure anyway.

Human resources  misfits and mistakes happen but if they happen as a result of ignorance or negligence it can be ruinous. Reputational risks take many forms. Don’t let the obvious hazards of firing a hire be one of them as by this time they have cost the organisation enough already!

Are Your Pants on Fire?

Bonjour ca va?
Beg your pardon??
Oh I’m sorry you say on your Resume that you speak conversational French.
Oh yes, well not really so much conversational but I have been to France twice for a holiday many years ago.

What was the name of the book Barrack Obama wrote?
Did he write a book?
Yes you say on your LinkedIn profile that you recently read it.
Oh yes, well he’s very impressive and what I meant was that I would like to read it.

Have you travelled back to the UK since studying at Oxford University?
Oxford University?
Yes, you say on your Resume that you studied at Oxford.
Oh yes that’s right I was on holiday in Oxford a few years ago and did a weekend wine appreciation course put on by the City of Oxford.

A recent shows that one in four CVs contains material irregularities. These include academic qualifications, previous employment history, court judgments, directorships and criminal convictions.

The untruths would include material that many people would dismiss as “white lies”. For example upping your previous salary, expanding previous job descriptions and improving on your education grades.

Indeed, there are two types of lies: lies of omission, where you leave stuff out, and lies of commission, where you tell out and out lies. Employers are more tolerant about lies of omission.

In a competitive world people want to manage the impression they convey so they embellish their CVs, however there is a limit.

As part of a CV many people include their interests, such as reading, hiking, snowboarding, etc. These should only be included if they relate to the job objective and to the reality of your life.

Don’t lie. It’s that simple. And don’t be tempted to embellish the truth. The risks of fudging the truth in your resume far outweigh the benefits, particularly when it comes to specific facts, such as credentials and titles. Operate on the basis that every qualification, every date and every reference will be checked.

If you are someone who is grossly overweight with a limp and claim to have an interest in running ultra marathons, a prospective employer may not ask about this interest but just wonder what else in the CV is fictitious. It may be an old adage but is remains as true as ever and that is ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’, use it wisely.

Media, Job Ads, and Your Social Success

Whether one is dealing in the realms of company board recruitment, defence force recruitment or some other type of recruitment a successful approach requires understanding of the role of social media in recruitment.

Writing a job ad may seem straightforward and in certain respects it still is. There are the same universal needs and considerations to be included and addressed. The same deference to accuracy and detail, brevity balanced with scope, with – one hopes – the right flavor of insight to attract the best fits and talents that meet the requirements of the particular role.

Such seeming straightforwardness can be deceptive in the sense that a job ad that fills the bill, so to speak, is no casual or thrown-together accident. Underlying “simple” elements are the experience, the tip-of-the-iceberg facts that render the telling phrases and details of inclusion, and the expert folding together into a coherent yet concise whole.

Put that way, it sounds exhausting, but it needn’t be. The right “templates” help and are in fact are essential as a means of preventing a constant re-inventing of similar “wheels” in addition to helping ensure consistency and quality. Sometimes there’s a fine line between consistency and repetition, but again, experience and expertise are needed to apply the kinds of judgments that can make those distinctions effectively.

The Challenging World of Work: The Importance of Networking

Networking can be a bit challenging for the person with shy tendencies; however, it is a very important skill to have in today’s job market. More than just a “meet and greet” session, networking allows people with similar interests to come together and share professional knowledge. Even if working in an entirely different field, a person should never exclude someone as a networking contact, as he or she may have knowledge regarding upcoming positions at their work that may appeal to your professional network.

In addition to locating hidden jobs, other benefits are shared through networking. Keeping abreast regarding the latest technologies used in-field are learned by Information Technology professionals and others in a person’s same occupational role. As companies all upgrade technology at different intervals, learning about new technology before it is deployed at your work site will help professionals learn the pluses and minuses involved with each operation.

When needing to meet with other professionals, networking allows like workers to share information regarding career trends and education. Whether it is discussing new licensing requirements for a specific occupation or gathering a group of professionals to review changes to academic curriculum, networking provides fast access to a group of qualified professionals and helps maintain knowledgeable and current contacts. If ever a person has a question regarding their occupation, being able to consult with a trusted networking contact will allow for a quick and trusted response.

Having networking contacts can also lead to new career opportunities. Education, health care and technology professionals are some of the most popular careers that can transition based on networking. From acquiring a position as a consultant, to transitioning from a field-based to an academic setting, networking allows industry professionals to make the transition from one career to the next. It also allows professionals interested in advancing their careers to make new references and contacts within new companies; which may provide the extra recommendation an employer seeks before hiring a new candidate.

Dealing With Workplace Stress

It happens at least one time in a person’s career: the overwhelming combination of added job duties, adjusted deadlines and mandatory overtime. Each factor alone can be stressful; combined with each other these can lead to extreme workplace stress. While many occupational stressors can not be avoided, learning how to manage stress allows employees to have a positive work-life balance.

The most important aspect of dealing with workplace stress is to leave it at the office. Children, spouses and family members understand you may have a complicated and demanding career; however they deserve a spouse, parent or friend who is dedicated, attentive and caring. Money is important in life but family and friends always have to come first. Make time at least one night a week or one day during the weekend where mobile phones and laptops are turned off. Spend time with loved ones, share a family meal or watch a child’s after school activity.

Some employers understand employees may face workplace stress and have made resources available to help eliminate it. Onsite gyms allow employees to work off any stress before going home or during their lunch break. A quick twenty minute walk on the treadmill during the lunch period will help employees feel energized and ready to start their second half of the workday. Other de-stressing therapies like yoga and massage therapy may be offered on a scheduled basis.

Many employers also sponsor employee assistance programs. These programs include anonymous telephone counseling with a mental health professional. Employees are given a phone number during their orientation with an access code. The code is used for billing purposes only and is not a record of the employee’s conversation. After speaking with the company therapist, recommendations for other treatments can be made including seeing a mental health professional on a scheduled face-to-face basis.

Education Advancement and Development for Recruiters

After spending many years in school, new recruiters are eager to enter the job market. Developing a good reputation, needed skill set and displaying leadership abilities will help a person go far in his/her career but these qualities combined with a degree can lead to mid to upper-level management positions. These come with increased responsibility but also have rewarding benefits like greater salary, equity (depending on employer), and unexpected benefits like full/partial mobile phone and vehicle reimbursement.

Some careers in recruiting require employees to pursue further study. Information Technology recruiters, those for education and health care professionals are just some of the fields where continuing education is required to maintain top knowledge and understanding of the candidates’ professional qualifications.

If a recruiter is interested in preparing for one of these fields it is mandatory that continuing education throughout the life of the career is pursued. To make it easy to acquire advanced professional knowledge, professional organisations relating to the person’s field of study offer continuing education delivered at conferences and workshops. Such courses can be added to a person’s professional portfolio and can form part of CPC qualification from the RCSA.

Pursuing further study can also be beneficial to all employees who are interested in utilising company benefits. Many companies offer full or partial tuition reimbursement for educational classes as long as they pertain to a relevant degree and level of performance is obtained. If interested in taking advantage of this benefit employees should investigate the number of allowable classes, reimbursement maximums and other relevant information prior to registering for classes. Most companies require employees to pay for classes on their own, submit payment and completion proof and wait for reimbursement. If pursuing this option, employees can also note these educational endeavors on their yearly performance evaluations to better their chances of advancing into a management role.

How to Write Performance Reviews

Supervisors, both experienced and new, must always write some type of performance review. While there are printed evaluation guides designed to help complete this task, a performance review should have more thought put into it than what a book states, as this is a person’s present record of employment and it could affect his/her future. Employees wishing to stay long-term with a company or move into managment positions are relying on their past performance with a company to help propel them into advanced positions. Therefore, performance reviews should not be written on a spur-of-the-moment basis. Reviewing past evaluations, meeting with the employee and speaking with the employee’s immediate supervisor  and peers should be done before any written evaluation is made.

Since the last performance review was written, it should be noted if the employee has received any work-related accomplishments. This could include being made Employee of the Year (Quarter, Month), an employee graduating from university and receiving a work-related degree, the employee  receiving a professional qualification, or the employee contributing to the company in a positive manner. This question should be asked of all employees during the interview before any evaluations are written, as the positive gains can be noted on the employee’s evaluation.

Any issues needing addressing can also be mentioned at the interview. If given the chance, most employees will be happy to discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Rather than present an employee with a list of qualities that need improving, by having an employee point out these issues will allow the employee to discuss them freely. This will allow for a less tense situation than if the employee was made to feel “ambushed” during the performance evaluation.

Finally, remember to speak with the employee’s immediate manager. This will help the higher-level manager to gain a realistic idea of the employee’s performance and you may wish to include this person during the performance meeting. Managers or Team Leaders can provide input regarding the employee’s daily performance, attentiveness and overall contribution to the company.

Understanding the Hidden Job Market

Finding a job today is harder than it was a few years ago. Employees are choosing to retire at a later age, companies are working towards a more automated process and many are outsourcing their jobs to other counties. This can mean a more competitive job market for today’s career seeker. Being able to understand the hidden job market can help prospective employees secure an interview or even a position with their dream company. Not an easy task, this sometimes requires making a small investment (time) to obtain the perfect position.

Almost everyone is familiar with the benefits of networking but what if a job seeker is not able to find anyone local interested in networking? Virtual networking is becoming more and more popular these days. This new type of networking happens on forums designed for individuals working in similar careers. Forums can appear on their own or are offered on sites of the career’s professional organisation. One of the best benefits of using a networking site included on the professional organisation’s site is the availability of a job board, as most sites include both a forum as well as employment resources.

Volunteering is a great way to gain employment. People interested in the fields of education, natural resources, healthcare and the Public Service can all volunteer at local hospitals, schools, parks etc. as an unpaid volunteer. When a paid position becomes available matching your skill set, most organisations like to promote from within and will hire a volunteer with an outstanding service record. One of the most important qualities volunteers must remember is punctuality. Treat the position, paid or unpaid, as if it was a regular job and the employer will take notice.

Sending blind resumes will most likely lead to unresponsiveness. Finding out the contact name of the departmental supervisor and offering your services to him/her on a contractual, full or part-time basis may lead to a better response. While a company may not be able to fund a full-time worker, getting a “foot in the door” as a contract worker can lead to future employment opportunities.

As an effective recruiter you must make sure your opportunities are available to those who are really seeking employment with your client business not just those immediatelyat hand. These “hidden” jobs typically garner the absolute best candidates as they diligently seek to find positions the mass candidates overlook.

Understanding The Challenges of Those Who Migrate for Employment

Many times it is hard to find a job in a person’s local area. If he/she lives in an area with many universities the job market may be over saturated. This can also happen to workers in specialty occupations where there may be one or two positions in total at a given company. In instances like these it may be necessary to migrate for a job; particularly if after investigating, the job market elsewhere looks promising. Depending on a person’s trained occupation, this will most likely be in a more rural area, location not served by a university, or a technology center. If you look at the disparity of unemployment rates around the world currently you can see why Australia is increasingly attractive with a falling unemployment rate approaching 5% with the USA for example still growing at over 10% unemployment.

Those applicants willing to migrate for the positions you have available can face a multitude of challenges before the interview even begins. Upon their first visit to your city most will want to absorb the living environment before ever really considering the work environment.

Parents will need to investigate schools, housing areas and other facilities for their children. If the area is not satisfactory parents will have to choose between separate living arrangements and keep children where they are presently or keep looking for another position. Should a parent need to live separately they will need to research family-friendly apartments and long-term housing rentals, as children can visit during school breaks. Any mishap in this department can turn your ideal recruit into a sour apple regardless of how “perfect” the job appears to be.

Invite any migrating applicants to meet his/her future co-workers and supervisor before accepting any job. A full explanation of duties, tour of the work area, and disclosure regarding expected hours and salary should be discussed.

Negotiating moving costs should be discussed during the interview. Today, most employers will fund a move and offer reimbursement costs. If your company has no reimbursement plan in place, make this known to the applicant. If there is one available, make sure the amount and reimbursement terms are built into the employment contract.

Succeeding At Your Job

We’ve all seen those people who sky rocket through companies – from mail room to a room with a view – and wonder exactly what lead to their quick success. Perhaps this “golden child” started work around the time you did; perhaps they were employed after your start date. Neither here nor there, understanding “how” to succeed at your job is paramount to your job success.

Succeeding at your job begins with developing a list of goals. These goals should not be vague but instead should be SMART that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Specific. Don’t wait for your manager to assist you in developing your specific personal goals you should take the initiative. Remember, your manager may have goals of their own; goals which may overlap (or conflict with) those you need to set for yourself.

Finding job success begins with envisioning how performing well in your current job will help you to meet your long-term career goals. For example, you can set short-term goals such as learning all of your job duties, increasing your efficiency and providing great customer service. After you become proficient focus on acquiring skills and experience in preparation for promotion opportunities.

To feel like you are succeeding at your job set short-term and long-term goals with your manager. This person may have enough experience to guide you toward a career goal; your strong performance on the other hand will make you a good candidate for promotion.

Before you decide what it will take to achieve your goals be sure to consult all resources at your disposal – including job descriptions, internal job opportunities, company handbook, operating manuals and training materials.

As you succeed in your current position take time to revise your short-term goals. If your long-term goal also changes that is okay. Enjoy working as you steadily attain the level of salary, benefits and responsibilities you desire.

What are Hidden Jobs?

As the noose tightens on the job market, it’s important you know where to look for opportunities that other applicants fail to see. These “hidden jobs” often result in long term employment opportunities for those with the skill sets required for the position.

Hidden jobs are jobs you will never find posted in traditional or online media. You can’t find the job by reading the job section of the paper or browsing a national or international website. You have to know about a job and ensure your resume is in the Human Resources office when the time is right.

Looking for hidden jobs depends on your ability to network successfully with prospective employers. You can try several strategies.

• Develop professional relationships with key people in the organisation including managers and HR personnel.
• Get a foot in the door in an organisation through a volunteer or paid internship.
• Leave your portfolio or resume on file for future consideration.

The most important thing to know about hidden jobs is how easy it is to miss them. If you aren’t in the loop because you haven’t taken the time to establish contacts inside the organisation these hidden jobs will remain hidden.

Find an employer that matches your interests and spend time getting to know the organisation’s unique culture. By making strategic connections to at least one employee in the organisation you will gain an edge over other candidates. Your contact might alert you when someone leaves or retires. It helps to have your resume or personal availability in the recruiter or hiring manager’s mind when the hidden job arises.

Understand The Personality of a Company Before You Apply

The sky is the limit when it comes to employment. People join an organisation because they believe they identify with some personal benefit in working there. For example, workers might seek the stable employment of a local, state or federal government because they want good benefits and annual cost-of-living increases in a steady economy.

Other workers use different criteria to decide whether it is worthwhile to apply for employment in an organisation. Some workers consider the organisational culture to be the most important consideration; they want to work in a safe and equitable environment. They value relationships with management and coworkers. They see themselves as fulfilled after spending a long career in one organisation.

Not all people look for a close match between their personal preferences and career goals and the organisation. They join an organisation because they need a job. It doesn’t matter how long they keep the job or whether they succeed. For this type of worker, earning a regular income is the goal and the quality of the work experience is not so important.

Before applying to any job, you must understand the “personality” of the company as well as the current employees when determining the kind of organisation you want to work for. If your track is career oriented, then a fast paced job with high turnover rates should be avoided at all costs. Working for McDonald’s with a career path in mind is great but only if your career goal is to own a franchise. Similarly, working as the assistant to a CEO is ideal for those looking to eventually tread in the same path but will soon become frustrating for a person who really only requires an income for job satisfaction.

You need to find an employer that meet some of your needs and helps you to work slowly toward your career goals no matter what they may be.

The Importance of Career Planning

Career planning is essential for people who are just starting out in their career or thinking about changing careers. The typical strategy for a job candidate with uncertainty is to speak with a professional career counselor at a school, college or university.

When a person does not have the time to consult with a career counselor, taking an online career inventory becomes another option. The point of the consultation or the career inventory is to identify several pieces of information. For career planning, you should be able to articulate these pieces of information about yourself—

1. What type of position matches your interests?
2. What skills, education and experience do you need to qualify for your career choice?
3. How long will it take you to reach your career goal?
4. How can you build on what you already know and have already done to enter a new profession?

By planning your career, you are able to create concrete goals and deadlines for goal achievement. As time passes you can reflect on the work that has been done, as well as reevaluate your current position and whether or not your ultimate goal has changed. Remember, that even with planning, this “plan” is merely a blueprint for your success and not your life’s contract. By being flexible in your planning and by understanding that “life happens”, you’ll be able to move forward successfully even if all deadlines aren’t adhered to.

Aside from listing goals, career planning involves many more steps. If you get stuck, it’s advised that you use professional consultation or a career inventory a starting point. Research those in positions you are looking to obtain in an effort to recreate their career blueprint and although no two situations will be identical, previous success stories serve as an excellent starting point.

Then you can use other career-planning tools to build a plan for achieving career success. Most often, you won’t fall into your dream job but you can take incremental steps towards finding this position!

Understanding Workplace Stress

A trained manager or HR professional knows how to watch for changes in employees that signify too much stress at work.

Telltale signs to look for are changes in a persons physical health, behavior, emotional state and thinking abilities. That’s why managing your overall stress level is essential. When you start to feel the effects of workplace stress in your professional and personal life don’t hesitate to turn to resources that are available for assistance. For example you can arrange medical treatment and counseling services that will be covered by health insurance. An alternative is to seek counseling and other services through the employee assistance program should your employer offer it.

There are self-help books, websites and other ways to let go of workplace stress before you let it endanger your health, family and career. What you don’t want to do is ignore the signs your body gives you that something is wrong.

Depending on your relationship with your boss, it might also be appropriate to discuss workplace stress directly. One alternative to direct communication is to offer suggestions for improving working conditions when the time is right. Whatever you can do to manage your own stress and help the workplace to be a better place, the happier you will be on the job.

In the end your overall mental health contributes to a happy work life and a happier home life. Understanding the stresses of each and dealing with them accordingly is essential to a healthier life and your overall success in life.

21st Century Management

The 21st century manager faces new challenges. The manager must ensure the work team meets company goals and performance targets. This age-old objective occurs in the context of an increasingly diverse population. Today’s manager works with employees with disabilities, mature workers, employees who telecommute, employees with complex family obligations, and employees with a broad range of technical skills and education.

Today’s managers manage well by maintaining high standards of employee communication and cooperation. They value the diverse needs of their staff. For example, the manager studies employment law, adopts communication patterns that respect employee differences and treats all employees with respect.

Workers may come to work with the opposite perspective. They are increasingly aware of their rights to protection in the workplace. Workers enjoy working for managers who recognise their diversity is beneficial to the organisation. A good manager knows mature workers bring a different perspective to work problems while younger workers bring fresh ideas and new technological knowledge. If the manager can get employees into the right position to match their abilities, he or she can work with employees to achieve their full potential. The balancing act involves developing individuals while expecting all employees to treat others with respect and fairness.

Banking and Finance Jobs

Today’s banking and finance jobs attract candidates from many backgrounds, including people who like working with numbers. Inside  financial sercies there are other jobs that do not require a love of maths. Some candidates might have university-level training in disciplines like business, finance, accounting, management, marketing, maths or economics. Alternatively, candidates might possess experience in customer service, cash handling or bookkeeping.

Regardless of your unique combination of skills, experience and education, the financial services sector offers a whole range of opportunities. All you need is the motivation to succeed. For example,you can find any number of jobs in a banking institution. You can start as a bank teller or customer service representative and work your way into management. In finance, you can join a wide variety of firms who help investors make investment decisions or sell investments. Prospective employers include stock broking firms, financial planners, insurance firms, mortgage lenders and funds management companies. There is also a financial regulation sector at federal, state Government level.

To increase your value as a potential employee take advantage of professional development opportunities offered by your employer. New skills qualify you for more types of jobs.

Keeping Up With The Ever-Changing World of Work

Much has been written about the effects of technology on the changing world of work. However, you may not realise why some organisations don’t embrace this trend in the 21st century. Onedrum.com reported on their November 2009 study of 1,200 small and medium companies based in the office on UK telecommuting that interestingly, 80% of employees felt comfortable with the idea of working at home.

Why did employers not allow their workers to work from home? The small and medium office-based business respondents indicates the top reason was that workers could not access important company documents from home and the second reason as not having the right technology in place. The belief that employees would not be productive was the third most common reason.

If you want to approach your employer with the idea of working at home at least part of the work week, you will want to emphasise the benefits to your employer. For example, you can commit to your boss your availability during certain time frames each day you work from home. If your boss needs to contact you, you should be available by email and telephone. Your employer might also appreciate your investment in high-speed Internet access. Some employers will actually provide this service to their employees at no cost because they realise the advantages in saving workspace in the office location.

From your perspective, telecommuting saves commuting time and transportation costs. If your employer allows you to work from home, it will be up to you to maintain your focus and discipline in the home office. You will still be responsible for meeting your performance goals and because of the lack of office distractions, your boss might even expect more work output when you telecommute to work. The trick is to make your home office ideal for concentration so you can keep this privilege over the long term.

Mature Age Discrimination at Work

Mature age workers are a great asset to the modern work place. For example, they bring wisdom gained through decades of work experience and they help than organisation maintain stability in tumultuous periods of change. They bring a different perspective to other demographic groups and perhaps this reflects a certasin proportion of your organisations client base. Managing mature age workers however presents challenges for HR professionals and managers.

Workers can experience age discrimination at work. They may be treated unfairly by younger workers and managers. Sometimes discrimination is intentional and sometimes it arises from ignorance.

The role of the HR professional is crucial in helping to reduce discrimination against mature age employees in the workplace. You can advise the senior management of your organisation about the benefits of diversity training if this is not currently undertaken. Another option is to seek training in teaching diversity awareness. In these ways you form an important link between management and workers. Such training will also helping employees to develop awareness about a wide array of diversity issues.

As we return to a a period of skills shortage it is up to everyone in an organisation to make it an attractive option to skilled mature age workersjust as much as it is to skilled graduates or any other potential staff.

Diversity training also teaches employees to respect others with disabilities, with different skill levels, and with religious and political differences. Employees learn to communicate without using stereotypes, to listen to others and to help employees collaborate for the achievement of common goals.

Accommodating Employees with Disabilities

Do you have people with disabilities in your workplace? The good news is these workers are important sources of talent. They can help the organisation achieve its goals with the right supports and are often overlooked.

It is helpful to challenge yourself to learn about common disabilities and to increase your comfort in hiring and managing disabled workers.

Here are a few things to think about. There are huge needs in some areas of the economy; infact there are such staff shortages that employers often bring in workers from other countries in fields like manufacturing, nursing, pharmacy, telecommunications, and computers. Sometimes employers are overlooking valuable people in their own backyard.

If you are looking for ways to recruit more people into your company, think about recruiting more heavily among the disabled working population. Many disabled individuals are able to perform quality work for your company. You might just have to work with them, providing a few minor workplace changes.

Ideas for Accommodating Employees With Disabilities

Employees with disabilities want to work for employers who recognise their value to the organisation. One way to accommodate disabilities is to create and maintain a work environment for people with disabilities.

You can do simple things to demonstrate your recognition of universal design and to provide a workplace that complies with local legal standards. Some ideas are: providing access to wheelchairs, installing emergency chairlifts to evacuate people in wheelchairs from floors above the first floor during emergencies, and installing lifts, safety rails and ramps where needed.

Another important area to improve across the organisation involves building a workplace culture that values people with disabilities. They need to be surrounded by coworkers and managers who treat them equally. This environment should not see people as different, but as valuable members of the team.

Making reasonable accommodation is easy if you study the needs of individuals and find ways to permit them to do their jobs effectively in a safe working environment. Some employee training is needed to build awareness of people with disabilities and how they succeed in the work environment. The training program should be ongoing and supported by managers at every level of the organisation.

Planning for Worker Schedules

Each organisation depends on managers and other workers who are able to successfully plan for the number of workers it takes to maintain coverage on each workday. If you are a professional unfamiliar with employee scheduling, you need to follow the same guidelines as managers in bigger companies.

Planning for worker schedules begins with studying the needs of your section of the organisation. Ask simple questions like –

-How many employees do we need during each shift?
-How many shifts do we have?
-What are the non-peak times where fewer workers are needed?
-How do we cover shifts to cover employee absences?

The list goes on and on. Think about these types of questions and work through the process of writing a plan for worker schedules. You can also consider which employees are best suited to provide maximum coverage during each shift.

If you don’t want to write out your coverage needs, use a spreadsheet or a free downloadable template in another computer program to plan employee schedules. You might even use software like Microsoft Project or Corel QuattroPro to work from an existing tool. The tool will only be as useful as the user who determines how employee work hours should be managed. Critical thinking is necessary for planning employee work hours effectively.

How To Develop Employees To Help Train New Workers

Effective managers focus on developing employee talents and skills. One area of employee development you might not have focused on before is providing promotions and other benefits to people who train workers when it is not in their job description. These super workers perform their responsibilities and, amazingly, make time for training. When they are absent from work, you notice the department does not run smoothly. Think of ways to reward their flexibility and their willingness to support new employees with valuable training.

You need to provide recognition to employees who devote a lot of time to training even while you ensure they keep up with their own work duties. Think about rewards that will motivate them to continue to providing training. Each employee is motivated by something different.

While recognition and other rewards are great, ensure highly effective workers who perform voluntary training duties do not get stolen by your competitors. For example, you can develop other employees to provide training so they are not always called upon to leave their work assignments for new employee orientation. Give your best workers more autonomy.

If effective workers can manage their own work, training will be manageable. If you rely on your best workers too often and stress them out, you might lose their cooperation with providing training on a regular basis. When training becomes an everyday part of their job, consider updating their job descriptions to reflect this reality and increase their pay accordingly.

Co-worker Tips for Understanding Employees With Disabilities

When you are a supervisor who is assigned to oversee a person with a disability you may feel initially unprepared for the assignment. Spend some time studying how to customise the employee’s workspace and job requirements so the employee can become a successful member of the team.

You can find many free training programs online, especially so you can understand the legal requirements of the relevent  legislation in your State to make sure that you make the appropriate accommodations. If you supervise an employee without educating yourself, you may make mistakes that get you and the employer into legal trouble. A little bit of education goes a long way towards preventing problems with an employee feeling like the workplace does not accommodate his or her condition.

As an individual, you will become a better supervisor when you study how to help the employee with a disability work comfortably in the workplace. Although people with disabilities may become accustomed to imperfect working conditions, they might also be very resourceful. Because they work around their disability on a daily basis, they are often excellent problem-solvers. Think about how expanding your understanding of managing people with disabilities will make you a better manager. Your work team will recognise your new awareness of diversity and rally around you to support coworkers who only need small changes in the work environment to perform comfortably.

Recruiting Secret: Never Overlook Those With Disabilities

Although the current workforce is full of people looking for regular employment, there is an important population in the economy where some organisations fail to recruit talent. This sector includes people with documented disabilities. These workers may have had bad experiences in their previous jobs, experiencing poor attitudes or outright instances of discrimination.

People with disabling conditions are capable of making a solid contribution to your workplace. They just need to find a workplace where other workers cooperate with them and treat them with respect. One idea is to study your current recruitment practices and find new ways to reach out to people with disabilities.

Just like all workers who perform better when they have good morale and favorable working conditions, people with disabilities will strive to help your organisation reach its goals. Like other employees, their continued employment is part of the overall company’s success.

Think about how your workplace can send a consistent message to people with disabilities that the organisation makes it possible for them to find a good job and advance in the organistion based on their contribution.

Employers that make a concerted effort to recruit people of all ability levels build a better reputation in their industry. Word-of-mouth is one way that the diversity-friendly workplace gains new applicants with disabilities spreads. Workers want to apply to the organisation because they learn from other workers and contacts that your organisation will develop employees and retain them even while working with their unique challenges.

A Guide to the Latest Trends in Recruiting

Just a little over a decade ago, searching for jobs meant going from place to place asking about employment opportunities and submitting one job application after another. A small population of tech savvy individuals were the primary users of online job searches. However, recruitment trends have changed and online recruitment technology is now a staple among job seekers.

The latest e-recruitment trends have brought into light more new recruitment-related products, websites and recruitment books than ever before available. The Internet is now being used for all types of jobs from company board recruitment to defence force recruitment. Many businesses today are even taking advantage of the benefits of social media in recruitment.

While it is obvious that technology has drastically altered the hiring process, the impact it has on the overall principles and practices of personnel management and human resources is yet to be defined. Even though the job-searching tools have changed somewhat, the underlying principles that preside over the process of recruitment have basically remained the same.

Technology will continue to play an important role in the recruitment process. However, it is important to remember that it is only a tool to be used; you still have to carry the toolbox!!

Finding the Jobs of the Future

The jobs of the future are not quite the same as the jobs that everyone has come to know. Seasonal jobs and engineering jobs may not change much, but other areas, such as health care jobs, sales & marketing jobs, human resources jobs as well as banking and financing jobs are among some of the most affected by the changing world of work.

With the global economy in its present state, people are losing jobs and searching for new ways to make money. One of the first places that many people are turning to these days is the Internet. The Internet is an excellent resource for any job hunter.

The jobs of today are not all pen and paper, they are more and more Wi-Fi and touch screen. Everything these days is becoming digital, from a routine check up to filling your tank with fuel. If you expect to succeed in the job market of tomorrow, you had best study up on your computer and Internet skills. By taking the time to educate yourself on the world of technology, you are providing yourself with a backup plan. Meaning that if all else fails, you can always start your own business on the Internet and succeed as your own boss.

Success in the Workplace

The one thing that all job hunters have in common is the desire for success. Succeeding at your job keeps you motivated to wake up and go to work every morning. If you take on a job that seems more like a chore that you cannot wait to be over, then you will not be able to reach the level of success that you desire due to the overwhelming workplace stress that you continuously face.

Managing well at work and keeping the stress levels to a minimum is the main objective of any workplace strategy. Many companies these days take the time to conduct regular performance reviews to determine how well their employees are performing and what they need to do the best job possible.

Should you do further study to help your career in order to achieve success in the workplace? Knowledge is power and the more you know, the greater your chances are for success. In addition to learning as much as possible about your particular line of work, it may also be helpful to take a class or two that focuses primarily on workplace  issues. These courses will help you to identify discrimination at work and teach you what you should do when you encounter instances of sexual or mature age discrimination at work. You will learn what your rights are as an employee and where to turn when you have concerns.

Tips for Finding the Best Jobs

The number one tip for finding the best jobs is to know the job that suits you best and the jobs that will make you the happiest as an employee. Before you apply to a company, determine if you will be happy working for such an organisation.

Take the time to research the company and its current and previous employees. Find out why people join an organisation and why they leave an organisation. If all the employees at an organisation seem surly and unhappy, chances are you will be too if you take a job there.

Another thing to consider when you are looking for a job that will make you happy is location. How do you feel about migrating for a job? Would you be willing to travel? Think about your current situation and the jobs that are available in your area. By now, you should know what you want to do, so it only makes sense to go to the place where you have the greatest chance for success. For example, you would not move to Switzerland to open a water park.

No matter if you are interested in manufacturing jobs in management, healthcare jobs or whichever job you choose, the Internet can help. There are a number of great websites to help your career. You can search several job boards online, get help with career planning and even find some great hidden jobs through networks you develop online.

Applying for Success

Applying for a job is entering a competition! That is why it is so important to set yourself up for success from the very beginning.

Resume writing is the first place people go wrong. Some resumes tend to be too long, while others are too brief. Your resume, e-resumes or profiles should include concise details about you, your education, skills and previous employment. References should be offered upon request. Cover letters should be neat and compelling and specific to the job.

The next place where many people tend to fail is the interviewing process. Take the time to research online. You will discover a number of helpful websites and articles that provide sample interview questions that can help you to be more prepared for your next job interview.

The more you know about the field in which you are applying, the better off you will be. If you are having trouble choosing a career path, check your local bookstore or library for several career planning books. Self help books – career planning oriented especially – can be found just about anywhere.

More Tips for Hiring the Right Employees

Many business owners do not know how to fire someone, but just as many have trouble finding the right employees to hire. Business owners are experienced and knowledgeable about their business. A real estate investor knows how to assess the value of a home, talk a seller down on a price and turn a rundown old shack into someone else’s dream home. However, he or she may not have a clue about writing a job ad, call centre trends, executive search trends and other things of interest in recruitment worldwide.

This is the reason so many business professionals are turning to recruiters for help in staffing their businesses. Why use a recruiter? A recruiter knows how to weed through all the riff-raff in order to find quality employees. Briefing a recruiter on the needs of your company is simple and takes considerably less time than interviewing countless unqualified candidates. 

Knowing what makes a good recruiter is important so take the time to research online. Talk to other business owners who have used professional recruiters in the past to learn about their experiences, so you will know what you should expect. Stop wasting your valuable time worrying about minute hiring and firing details and let someone who knows what they are doing find the right employees for you.

Recruiting Tip: Adding New Talent to the Workplace

Although the current workforce is full of people looking for regular employment, there is an important population in the economy where some organisations fail to recruit talent. This sector includes people with documented disabilities. These workers may have had bad experiences in their previous jobs, experiencing poor attitudes or outright instances of discrimination.

People with disabling conditions are capable of making a solid contribution to your workplace. They just need to find a workplace where other workers cooperate with them and treat them with respect. One idea is to study your current recruitment practices and find new ways to reach out to people with disabilities.

Just like all workers who perform better when they have good morale and favorable working conditions, people with disabilities will strive to help your organisation reach its goals. Like other employees, their continued employment is part of the overall company’s success.

Think about how your workplace can send a consistent message to people with disabilities that the organisation makes it possible for them to find a good job and advance in the organisation based on their contribution.

Employers that make a concerted effort to recruit people of all ability levels build a better reputation in their industry. Word-of-mouth is one way that the diversity-friendly workplace gains new applicants with disabilities spreads. Workers want to apply to the organisation because they learn from other workers and contacts that your organisation will develop employees and retain them even while working with their unique challenges.

6 Steps to Employment Success

You’ve seen a job opportunity that you’re interested in and want to apply, but where do you start? Our experience shows that people who do some basic research about the job before submitting their applications achieve the best results. Before you apply, we suggest that you think about the job requirements and gather some information, so that you can focus your job application better.

Here are some basic pointers…

• Understanding the job and Key Selection Criteria (KSC)
• Find out about the employer
• Decide whether you are qualified to do the job
• Understanding the Key Skills and Attributes
• Interviewing
• Reference Checking

Understanding the job and KSC

If you don’t fully understand the job requirements you may have difficulty demonstrating that you are the best person for the job. Study the Position Description, including KSC, along with any other relevant information you have collected. If you are unsure about any aspects of the job, call the Contact Officer during normal business hours. They’ll be happy to answer your questions.

There are three main parts to look at in a Position Description:

1. Values: These tell you about the way the organisation works and what it expects of its employees. The values will also give you an indication of the attributes they are looking for. Check that you are comfortable with these values and that they fit with the way you want to work.

 2. Accountabilities: This is a list of the day-to-day responsibilities and tasks of the job. Each job has a key focus — for example some roles supervise staff, some manage resources or provide policy advice; others deliver support services. Your career background and interests should match the requirements of the job. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you have the capabilities — personal qualities, knowledge and skills to do the job.

 3. KSC: The KSC outline the qualities, knowledge and skills needed to do the job. You will need to write short statements that sell your specific capabilities for each criterion. It is important to include specific examples or situations where you have demonstrated the behaviour, knowledge, skills and personal qualities asked for.

Find out about the employer

• It is important that you find out what the employer does — its objectives and functions and how the job you are applying for fits in. A good starting point is to look at the corporate website. There may well be a question asked at the job interview to explore your understanding of the organisation. If you’ve done your homework, you will be able to impress your potential employer by describing what you understand the business does.
• The organisation structure — an organisation chart sets out the reporting arrangements and may tell you where the advertised job fits in. Usually the organisational context will be stated in the Position Description.
• Values — these vary for each business but can include responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect and leadership.

Decide if you are qualified to do the job

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I meet all or most of the KSC of the job?
• Could I do the job with some training — formal or on-the-job?
• Do I have skills gained in other fields of work that may be transferable?

 If so, then you are ready to apply. But before you start your online application, make a few notes on all the information you have gathered

• Summarise the background and skills you can offer
• Highlight your strengths and relevant experiences, achievements and capabilities
• Address any obvious weaknesses and what training you are willing to do to address them
• Address each KSC for the job.
• Prepare or update your resume

Talk to your referees about the job you are applying for and what they will say about you to a prospective employer.

Understanding the Key Skills and Attributes

From time to time you may be asked to demonstrate an understanding of the Key Skills and Attributes of the role you are applying for, here is some information to help you understand a Key Skill and Attribute.

A skill is the ability to perform a task well. It is usually developed over time through training or experience. A skill can be used to do work in many jobs or it can be used in learning.

A personal attribute is a characteristic, quality or behaviour. Organisational attributes relate to the company environment, vision, values and goals. An organisation may sell these attributes to attract a customer to a service or new product.

The best way to understand the Key Skills and Attributes is to have a good understanding of the role and consider the duties you will need to perform and the important characteristics you would need to be successful in this role.

For instance, if you are applying for a role as a Customer Service Representative in a Call Centre environment it is important that you understand your role and your environment. A Customer Service role in a Call Centre is predominantly telephone based and your number one focus is customer service. You then need to consider the attributes/characteristics of a Call Centre operator e.g.

• Clear communicator
• Team player
• Friendly and approachable
• Self motivated
• Resilient
• Adaptable
• Punctual and reliable

Interviewing

You’ve been advised that have got an interview. Preparing for the interview may be a little daunting. Here are some basic interview tips to help you prepare:

• Dress appropriately for the interview. How formal this is will depend on the type of job
• Arrive at least 15 minutes before your allotted interview time — allow plenty of time for travel and to find the venue. Try to relax.
• Bring your application and relevant documents with you so you can refer to them. Focus on the job requirements — refer to the Position Description
• Introduce yourself to the interview panel members with a firm handshake. Look the panel members in the eye.
• Show interest and enthusiasm when responding to questions and answer in a clear and concise way. Think about your answer first
• Allow the interviewer to finish talking before you answer the question — don’t interrupt. If you don’t understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat it.
• Be prepared to talk about your understanding of what the organisation does, and why you applied for the job — how your skills and achievements meet the criteria. These are common interview questions.
• Don’t forget to mention any skills you have gained in another field of work, through projects at school, or as a volunteer. Sometimes we don’t realise that we have transferable skills.
• The panel will give you an opportunity to ask any final questions. You could ask when you are likely to hear about the interview outcome.
• A thank you to the panel for inviting you before you leave would provide a good last impression.

What do employers look for?

Employers look for the following attributes in people they interview:

• Honesty and integrity — don’t lie about your experience or achievements
• Good communication — be clear in your responses
• A good fit — they want to work with someone who can do the job and fit in with their culture

Behavioural interviewing

Unless an interview question is looking for yes or no response or a specific figure or definition, the best way to answer an interview question is to try to recall recent situations that show favourable behaviours or actions, and present these experiences in story format for the selection panel. When telling a story, ensure each situation has a beginning, middle and an end. The process is similar to preparing your written application. The SAO method can be useful during interviews, with the Situation, Action and Outcome format providing a good structure for story telling during the interview.

HINT: For more information on Behavioural-based Interviewing or BBI, jump on the Internet and search for information relating to this topic. Also, Government websites can be a major source of information.

Reference Checking

Conducting a reference check is a prerequisite for all Government roles you apply for and for the majority of roles you apply for outside of Government, therefore keeping your referee’s informed when you nominate them as a contact for a new role is imperative. Make sure your referee knows what role you are applying for and give them some indication as to when they will be contacted, it’s normally best to do this once you have been called for a face to face interview or just after your interview.

Your reference check is normally conducted after your face to face interview with your prospective employer and is usually a sign that you have done well so far, however, it does not mean the role is yours yet! A reference check is conducted to verify your previous employment, position title, behaviour and responsibilities as outlined on your resume. Generally the questions asked will directly relate to the position you are applying for, keep in mind that our consultants are trained to run reference checks objectively and will contact you if unable to obtain an objective work related reference check.

 

Now you are ready to apply… To see what’s available, go to the Regent jobs page

Sales & Marketing Jobs Attract Creative Go-Getters

When selecting the career path that is right for you, it’s often possible to find a product or service you really believe in.  Sales & Marketing Jobs give you the chance to promote or sell a product or service that you appreciate or truly enjoy.  If that is the case, going to work will feel more like fun than work.

What type of jobs are available to those seeking sales & marketing jobs?  In reality, the sky is the limit.

Anything that is manufactured or delivered as a service can be sold.  There is a sales person who sells vacations, a sales person who sells medical equipment, and a sales person who sells homes.  Technical expertise may be required, but not necessarily.
So how are sales and marketing different?  Sales involve dealing direct with customers and asking them to buy the product or service.  Marketing means reaching those same customers with information about the product or service to educate them about it and prepare them for the sales call that asks them to buy.

Sales jobs often pay by commission: a percentage is earned for every item sold.  In marketing jobs, you typically will receive a salary.

Sales & Marketing jobs are available in all different fields.

Healthcare Jobs Remain a Great Career Option

No matter what the state of the economy, there will always be healthcare jobs.
They range from entry level careers as receptionists in medical offices to professional jobs in medicine, pharmaceutical research, and other forms of healthcare.

When thinking about healthcare jobs, be sure to think about your personality and where you might be best qualified.
If you enjoy working with people but can’t stand the sight of blood, opt for a clerical job in the healthcare field.  You’ll still have plenty of opportunity to interact with doctors, insurance professionals, and nurses, but you won’t have to worry about assisting wounded patients.

If you have a strong aptitude for science, and you can handle the long hours and intense training, consider going to college to be a nurse, physical therapist, or physician.  The years of training pay off with a long career of opportunities.  Making it through the courses can be the toughest part, but if you’re a good student, you can do it.

The best reason to look for healthcare jobs is because you really care about people.  There is no other career field that makes you more directly responsible for the lives and care of others.  Best of all, the jobs will be there no matter how good or bad the economy may be.

The Worst Days: How to Fire Someone

There is nothing worse than having to fire someone.  Knowing how to fire someone can be difficult, especially if it’s your first time.  All good managers have to learn how to fire employees, and sometimes – quite often, in fact – you have to learn to fire someone that you actually like.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when getting ready to fire someone:

1. You can say, “It’s not personal” all you want, but the truth is, it is.
2. It’s probably easier to fire someone in the morning rather than worry about it in your interactions with the individual all day.
3. Fridays are the best day to fire someone.  It sounds bad, but the good thing about Friday is it gives the employee the weekend to figure out a plan, and it gives your remaining employees a few days to adjust to the idea of someone being gone.
4. Don’t underestimate the reactions of your other employees.  The employee you fire is someone’s friend and co-worker.  You will not be “Mr. Popular” on the days you fire someone.
5. How you fire someone says a lot about you.  Do it swiftly, fairly, and professionally, and no one will ever say anything bad about you.

Career Planning for those in Mid Life

For many people today they never anticipated changing careers.  Particularly not at this stage of the game.  Yet today’s job market is full of people who are being forced to take a good hard look at what they do for a living and decide if, perhaps, they should be doing something else.

Career planning for those who have entered into that phase of life called “mid life” can be traumatic and exciting all at once.  It all depends on your focus as to which emotion wins.

For those with an open mind and a can-do attitude, career planning in mid life is fun.  When we were kids we all knew how to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up.”  It’s a little harder to answer that question right now, and yet that’s what career planning is all about.

Career planning is as simple as starting with the question, “What do you want to do,” and ending with a strategy out of “How do I get there.”  Additional training or research may be required, but for most people the hardest part of career planning is the “what” part, while the easiest part is figuring out the “how.”

Getting the Job You Really Want

Serious job seekers sometimes take extreme measures to get the jobs they really want.  How far are you willing to go?
If you’ve been a victim of this recession and are finding it hard to find a job in your current occupational field, the writing is on the wall: it’s time to get additional training in order to get a job.

When should you do further study to help career aspirations? Whenever what you aspire to and what you can achieve do not line up.

If you can’t find a job because you don’t have enough education, should you do further study to help career hopes?  Absolutely.

If your current job is not satisfying or the hours are wrong or the pay is too low, should you do further study to help career opportunities?  Of course you should.

Whenever you find yourself dreaming of something more is the time to start moving toward that goal by doing whatever it takes.

Today with the changes in technology and the difficult job market we’re in, it’s important for everyone to continually retrain in order to stay sharp.  Whether you want to advance in your current career or move on to something else, furthering your education is a great way to keep your career moving in the right direction.

Your Best Cover Letters

How would you describe your best cover letters?  Are they short?  Long?  Do they introduce your resume?  Do they provide personal info that makes you perfect for the job?  What do you include in your best cover letters?

Experts at writing cover letters say the most important thing to remember is to make your letter appropriate to the audience at hand.  In other words, write your cover letter for the person who is reading it.

Sifting through resumes can be a tedious job, so if you can do something to your cover letters to make them stand out, you do two things: set yourself apart and make an impression with the HR representative.

“HR reps can be your best friend or your worst enemy when you’re looking for a job.  They are the people who screen resumes, and they are the people who put you in the “in” or the “out” pile,” says Hayden Lore, cover letter expert.

Lore says that if you can, find out as much as you can about the HR department and the hiring manager where you are applying, then write your letter tailored to the individuals that will actually be seeing your cover letters.

Interview Questions That Send Chills Up Your Spine

There’s something about interview questions that can trick all of us up.  Typically it’s because the questions are not the type you find in normal every day conversation.

When was the last time you were talking to your friend on the phone and she said, “Tell me, Jan, what would you say is your greatest weakness?”  It never happens.

That’s why interview questions need to be treated like something special.  Never go into an interview with your only plan being to “wing it.”  Take some time to think about the questions that might be asked, and then carefully prepare your answers.
Here are a few of the top questions people hate to answer, but that interviewers almost always ask:

1. Why did you leave your last position?
2. Where do you see yourself in five years?
3. Why should I hire you for this job?
4. How much money are you asking for?
5. What specific training do you have that prepares you for this job?

Before you go into any interview, think carefully through the answers to the above questions.  Make yourself some “cheat sheets” with key messages, which can be used for telephone interviews and preparations for your in person interviews.

The Art of Writing Cover Letters

Does anyone still write cover letters any more?  In this era of the online resume, the art of writing cover letters is starting to get lost.  However, more hiring managers say the cover letter is what captured their attention over the resume, a phone call, or another form of contact.

“Someone who can write a good, concise cover letter has an advantage in getting an interview,” says John Baker, a recruitment officer with Standard Manufacturing.

“I can look at resumes for chemical engineers all day long.  At some point, something has to stand out.  In most cases, it is the engineer’s cover letter. Usually, that cover letter says something different that other letters don’t say.” Baker says.

Don’t waste time with your cover letter saying, ‘my resume is attached and I’m interested in the job.’  That’s a given,” Baker says.
Use your cover letters instead to talk about your accomplishments, to show you’ve researched the company you want to work for, and to say something that sets you apart.

“When I was in college, my professor taught us to never use the word ‘I’ in our cover letters.  It’s not easy to do, particularly when you’re selling yourself.  But if you manage to do it, it’s probably because you’ve said things about the company you want to work for or shown some creativity in your presentation.”

Why People Leave

Recent surveys show that the common reasons why people leave an organization have more to do with the non-work issues than the work-related ones.

In fact, there’s no guarantee that even if you pay your people better than anywhere else and provide excellent career opportunities you will keep them.  More people leave an organization because of how they are treated by others than for any other reason.

Jane, for example, was very happy with her work.  She enjoyed helping her customers and solving problems.  She liked her hours, enjoyed her co-workers, and even felt her pay was fair.  But when the competitor across town offered her a lateral move, she jumped at the chance.  Why?

Jane says that she experienced what many who leave an organization do.  She never felt valued at her job.  No one ever told her she was doing a good job.  No one ever thanked her for a job well done.

If you have employees that you want to keep.  Be sure you tell them regularly how much they are appreciated.  Why people leave an organization is often based on emotion rather than fact.  Treating employees well will help keep them where you want them to be – with you!