Is Communication the Key to an Engaged Workforce

Is Communication the Key to an Engaged Workforce One significant factor that can determine the engagement levels within an organisation is the quality of communication taking place between employees and those in leadership roles. Practices  such as taking employee feedback on board, conducting performance reviews and  generally  keeping staff in the loop about things occurring within the business are all factors that can contribute towards creating a highly engaged workforce. This infographic created by  Quantum Workplace  demonstrates just how important communication is for employee engagement and offers a few pointers for how engagement levels can be improved. How can employee engagement be managed? Engaged companies treat employee engagement as a year round activity, unlike disengaged companies who may treat it as a short-term project. Employees are partly responsible for their own engagement. Highly engaged companies are 6x more likely to say employees have a lot of responsibility for increasing engagement. The top 3 feedback tools that are important in highly engaged companies are performance management programs, recognition programs and annual employee surveys. Should companies conduct employee surveys? 5% of highly engaged companies surveyed their employees in the last year and the better the engagement the better the participation. In highly engaged companies 60% of employees participated in the survey, compared to 20% in disengaged companies. Providing a follow up to employee surveys is an important but often overlooked factor.  Employees whose managers follow up with them after a survey are 12% more likely to be engaged at work than those who receive no follow-up. What tools and tactics are used by engaged companies? One-on-one meetings between manager and employee, as well as whole company and department meetings. Regular emails from leadership and social media tools. Employee engagement surveys,  performance reviews and goal setting. What are the communication differences between engaged and unengaged companies? 86% of highly engaged companies conduct one-on-one meetings with employees, compared to 50% of disengaged companies.  Face to face has been found to be more effective, than emails from leadership. Exit interviews and employee surveys are prioritised over performance reviews in highly engaged companies, as it focuses on how things can be improved for employees to make their experience better. Whereas disengaged companies prioritise thing such as company newsletters. How to improve your employee engagement: Introduce a formal employee recognition program. Conduct an annual survey involving managers. Complement exit interviews with exit surveys. Conduct one-on-one meetings with employees. Commit to your engagement all year round. Image: Pablo

OK, You Can Talk, But Can You Also LISTEN! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

OK, You Can Talk, But Can You Also LISTEN! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We’ve all run into these kind of people. You attempt to have a “conversation” with them but you know that all the time you’re talking they are not really listening. They’re merely thinking about what they are going to say next. And, if you happen to take a breath, or otherwise pause while speaking, they jump right in and “step on” what you were saying and try to head the conversation in a totally different direction! Now, assume for the moment that you are a hiring manager, “headhunter” or Human Resources professional operating under constant time constraints and that you are interviewing a candidate with these “communication” traits for an open position. It would probably get really frustrating and tedious really fast, wouldn’t you agree? Well, I’m here to tell you that, yes, it canâ€"and does!â€"get very frustrating and tedious very quickly! (It can also torpedo a candidate very quickly.) Many, if not most, open positions today specify that candidates must have “excellent communication skills.” Far too many candidates interpret this requirement to mean that they must be “good talkers.” The fact of the matter is, that’s really only one-half of the effective communication equation. Truly effective (and productive) communication is very much a “two-way” street, i.e., one person talks, the other person actively listens and then makes appropriate responses to what was just said before attempting to head the conversation in another direction. Think, Act Like TOP Salespeople I often relate the job prospecting/interviewing process to the general sales process. The reason for that is really quite simple. Whenever you prospect or interview for a jobâ€"any jobâ€"you definitely are in the sales business, and the “product” you are attempting to sell is YOU and your unique professional brand. That means, in order to be effective, you must employ the same tactics and strategies that are typically employed in any sales situation. In “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!, I devote an entire chapter to the idea of job prospecting/interviewing as sales process (“Selling Is NOT Tellingâ€"It’s Asking”). Contrary to popular opinion, the most successful salespeople are very rarely the “fast-talkers.” Rather, they usually are those who are the best listeners, and who, because they are good listeners, then ask prospects the best questions to determine how best to sell them! Just coincidentally, the most successful job candidates also tend to be those who understand these same principles and then employ precisely this same approach. Become a Better, More Active Listener During Job Interview While friends and acquaintances may tolerate any poor listening habits you might have, don’t expect this same level of tolerance from hiring professionals. Because time is at such a premium today for these professionals, the moment that they even suspect that you may be wasting their time (or trying their patience!), they quite likely will terminate any interview with you and quickly move on to the next candidate, thereby eliminating you from further consideration. Want to become (and be perceived as) a better, more active listener, and thereby significantly improve your chances of success during a job interview? Consider taking these steps: Give the interviewer plenty of positive visual/verbal feedback when he or she is talking. In a face-to-face interview such feedback may consist of something as simple as slowly nodding your head to show agreement and to indicate that you are in fact paying attention, i.e., actively listening. Also, make sure your eyes are focused on the interviewer and not “glazed over,” thereby strongly suggesting total detachment from what is being said. If the interview is over the telephone, you might say such things as, “Yes, that’s true,” “Good point,” etc. Make sure your responses are appropriate/relevant to what has been said or asked. A dead giveaway that the other person is simply not listening to what we are saying or asking is when he or she gives inappropriate, irrelevant or largely meaningless responses to what we have just said/asked. Example: The hiring manager tell you, “What we’re looking for in the person we select for this position is someone who can multi-task, stay within budget and meet tight deadlines. How do you stack up with regard to these characteristics?” Your response: “Well, I have consistently been able to meet each and every requirement of every job I’ve held during my career. I have absolutely no doubt that I can continue to do that in this position.” Talk about being non-responsive! Did you even listen to what the hiring manager said/asked? Seek clarification when needed. Referring to the previous bullet point, rather than to give the nonsensical/non-responsive answer that was given, which strongly suggests that you weren’t listening very well at all, you might respond with a question such as this: “Could you please expand on what you mean, specifically, by ‘tight deadlines’?” It’s a fair question and certainly indicates that you were actively listening to what the hiring manager was saying. Ask intelligent, appropriate, applicable questions. It’s quite all right for you to ask questions during a job interviewâ€"as long as those questions are intelligent ones that are also appropriate and applicable to what has been discussed during the interview. The more of these types of questions you ask (within reason, of course), the more clearly you will demonstrate that you actually paid attention, i.e., actively listened, and that you were totally engaged during the entire interview.     When asked, at the end of the interview, if you have any questions, give a brief summary of what you heard and understood during the interview, then ask the most important question to be asked during the entire interview. Example: “I certainly appreciate your taking the time to discuss this position with me and I remain quite excited about this career opportunity. I understand that you are seeking a candidate who has a background in X,Y, and Z, and someone who can bring A,B, and C to the table. I believe that I am such a candidate and I hope I have been able to convince you of that. I have just one remaining question: What are the next steps in the process?” Will taking this approach guarantee that you will shoot to the top of the candidate list? Unfortunately, no, it won’t. I can guarantee you one thing, though: The moment you are perceived as someone who is a poor listener, as someone who is not totally engaged in the interview, you will be quickly eliminated from further consideration. Author: Skip Freeman  is the author of the international bestselling job hunting book “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!  (http://portal.sliderocket.com/BFDSG/Find-Your-Dream-Job)  and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of  The HTW Group (Hire to Win), an Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Area Executive Search Firm. Specializing in the placement of sales, engineering, manufacturing and RD professionals, he has developed powerful techniques that help companies hire the best and help the best get hired.

Resume Writing Services - Benefits of Hiring Resume Writing Services

Resume Writing Services - Benefits of Hiring Resume Writing ServicesA lot of people are looking into hiring resume writing services so they can streamline their work flow and get back to the work that they are good at. Whether you have a great deal of experience or you just want to try out your new skills in order to boost your career, you can turn to resume writing services for help. You should be able to improve your resume and make it appear as professional as possible, which is why these services are becoming more popular among employers.The advantages of hiring an HR agency are numerous, not least of which is that you don't have to deal with things like acronyms and other things that are usually a part of typical resume writing and hiring procedures. Instead, you will be working with experienced professionals who will ensure that your resume looks professional and is put together properly. The clients also get to choose from a variety of different resumes, including those that i nclude a 'narrative' section, a section of information regarding a specific job, or a section that lists relevant experience information.Before you can use resume writing services to help you, however, you will need to understand the processes that are used by HR professionals. This will help you prepare for these processes and ensure that you are doing things correctly. Some of the common mistakes made by people include using keywords that are too general, leaving out irrelevant information, and using too many resumes.When you hire a professional to write your effective resume, they will ensure that it is presented in a way that is impressive and which will help the potential employer to see your best points clearly. After this, they will help you tailor your resume according to your company's requirements. This process will often take longer than if you were to do the process on your own, but it is a must if you want to look professional.If you have good information about yourself , you should let your resume show this information, so that the potential employer knows exactly what to expect. You might want to list your previous jobs and a little about the industry where you worked. On the other hand, if you have no experience, then you might want to focus on your experiences in the area of expertise you have chosen to specialize in.In addition to this, you will want to include various points that will help to make your resume stand out. For example, a great resume will be one that highlights your skills and makes you look as if you know what you are doing. A clear and concise resume is the first step towards gaining the attention of your potential employer, and it is always advisable to use this when you are in need of a resume.Your resume should also be professionally written, so that potential employers see that they are getting a worthy candidate. There are a number of places that you can go to when you need to hire a professional to help you write your re sume. However, you should look for resume writing services that are accredited and that are known for the quality of their work.The good news is that these days there are many companies that offer these services, and you should be able to find one that offers you good services at affordable prices. You should also be able to find several companies that offer to hire your resume without any money being exchanged. This is a great idea because it means that you get the resume that you want, and you don't have to pay a lot of money for it.

Summary Sunday Ask Questions

Summary Sunday Ask Questions Who is afraid to ask questions? Many of us, I fear. But questions dont make us look dumb.  Questions are engaging, build rapport and get the brain moving. We are not robots. We are humans, lets start acting like it and ask more questions- of ourselves and others. Ask questions that are reflective. Ask questions that are anti-establishment or that challenge the  status-quo. Ask questions to learn. Ask questions without judgement. Ask open-ended questions. Ask! I found these three posts this week and shared them. I want to make sure you didnt miss them! The Tech Worker Shortage Doesnt Really Exist | Bloomberg Business Week by   Josh Eidelson This may go down as one of my favorite posts of the year. Seriously. The question we should all be asking isis there really a shortage of Tech workers? Really? “There’s no evidence of any way, shape, or form that there’s a shortage in the conventional sense,” says Hal Salzman, a professor of planning and public policy at Rutgers University. “They may not be able to find them at the price they want. But I’m not sure that qualifies as a shortage, any more than my not being able to find a half-priced TV.” Actions by President Obama to increase the number of H1-B visas may be driving down wages according to Eidelson and others. Im all in favor of a global economy, but lets at least take care of our own fragile middle-class first. 3 Magic Phrases Every Interviewer Wants To  Hear | by Lily Zhang for The Muse on Forbes Have you used these three phrases in an interview lately? What about in a conversation with your manager? “I’m really excited about that.” “I actually just spoke with Sarah to learn more about that.” “I’ve had a lot of success with that in the past.” Go give the article a quick read! LinkedIn, Personal Branding or Job Search Targeting: Which Comes First?  by Meg Guiseppi, ExecutiveCareerBrand.com This is a great question.  Does it matter which you do first? Yes. You must start with the hardest stuff firstjob search targeting. The other pieces fall into place once youve set your targets. Megs post links to many other helpful articles shes written to help you fine-tune your brand and LinkedIn profile. Corporate Crime Scene: Questions of Leadership | by Doug Johnston, Impact4Results Doug Johnston has a way with questions. The kind that dont put you on the defensive, but get you thinking about personal accountability- what part did you play? Written for leaders, this post works for anyone at any level, trust me. Weve all been in situations where weve had to deal with someone evil, cruel, or a rabble-rouser. It makes the blood boil. Next time you find yourself stewing (or doing something in response), ask yourself these questions In what way might you have contributed? If you were to go back in time, what would you have done differently? I clearly hear your frustration with this other person, what might they say if I asked them how you might have contributed? What is it about you that makes this very difficult? What is this about for you? If you could have done anything differently, what would you have done?

More amazing work from our global partners - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

More amazing work from our global partners - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog In 2015 we started the Woohoo Inc Partnership and we now have partners promoting happiness at work in 30 countries. We are incredibly proud to be supporting these amazing people. Here are some examples of the fantastic work they do. Argentina: Team building with purpose Grupo Aukera in Buenos Aires did a teambuilding workshop for a big international insurance company where the teams had to work together to assemble bicycles. But there was a surprise: While the teams were working, they all thought that the bicycles would be drawn by the participants or that they would be left for the winning group. The surprise was that by the end of the game when the bicycles were finished, the real clients were poor children who received help from an NGO and used bicycles not only for playing but also to go to school or to the dining room where they they served food daily. In this way the concept of Results came up very clearly, understanding the meaning of our work. What a great idea and one that lead to a 50% improvement in that divisions satisfaction surveys. Lebanon: The countrys first ever conference about happiness at work Randa Farah of I have Learned Academy arranged a conference on happiness at work in Beirut and over 300 people came and saw some great local and international speakers at a very creative and fun event. Belgium: Running a happiness program at the Department of Education Tryangle are currently running a program which consists of a hybrid pack of webinars and keynotes on how to become happier at work with a focus on teamwork and communication. Griet Deca from Tryangle noted that: Everybody in the department can enroll in their activities and for the first webinars we had a lot of participants. They were actively engaged creating a lot of interaction. And that made Kim, who did the webinar, also happy! Hybrid learning tracks help to a) balance the budget and b) keep the happiness-idea alive all through the year. The fact that the participants of the webinars will meet the webinar animator is a big added value according to the feedback we get. The public sector needs more happiness at work and doing a blend of online and physical learnings helps make the training more effective and affordable. Poland: Putting workplace happiness on the agenda for the first time Many Central and Eastern European countries have no tradition for focusing in happiness at work so getting attention can be tough. But Kasia Kern has been very successful in changing the conversation using a combination of social media, webinars and physical meetups. I put together 1 hour webinar called 10 ways to become happier a work. I remember that I posted it in the network and I literally went for vacation with my family. While sitting on the beach, I couldnt believe what was happening, I was getting one email after another notifying me that another person register on my webinar. When I came back I did my first webinar for 100 people, much more than I expected. So I repeated it several times and there was a similar audience each time. I then decided to organize a few free of charge meetings in the biggest cities in Poland, to share more on Happiness at Work and included local companies to share their best practices. These events have also been sold out and attracted a lot of attention. She will also be doing Polands first conference on happiness at work later this year! Czech Republic: The worlds biggest conference on Happiness at Work Our partners in the Czech Republic have done an annual conference on happiness at work for 4 years. It started out small with 70 participants but the latest edition had over 500 attendees, making it the biggest conference about happiness at work anywhere in the world. UK: Rocking a closing keynote Sarah Metcalfe of Happy Coffee Consulting in the UK gave the closing keynote at a conference called When Digital Becomes Human. She got awesome feedback, lots of questions and a 4.5/5 speaker rating. Slovenia: Getting published Petra and Maja of Paleta Znanj managed to get workplace happiness into some of the major business publications in Slovenia: We prepared two articles on happiness at work for two professional magazines and they will be published in April and May. First will be an article for Direktor (a magazine focusing on development of managers) with more focus on long term and strategic advantages of H@W and leading with happiness. The second one comes out in May for an HRM magazine (focused on HR professionals) about happiness at work and its importance for a positive organizational culture. Both magazines have a reach of few thousands, which is quite a lot for our country. Israel: Launching a happiness board game Games are a great path to learning and PlusConsulting in Israel have launched one that is focused on strengths and happiness at work: FINDING THE PLUS?is an interactive fun game that boosts happiness and enables participants to learn tools and solutions from the sciences of happiness at work and positive psychology. ?Finding the PLUS? game, will help you learn to implement and practice the positive perspective in a fun and engaging way. Through the game the players will get familiar with the four aspects of positive psychology: mental, emotional, physical and social. They will learn and practice new techniques that will enable them to increase their happiness level, become more empowered, improve their performance as well as their wellbeing. How awesome is that! Italy: The first conference about happiness at work People 3.0 arranged their countrys first ever conference on workplace happiness with local and international speakers and 100 participants. Much more coming There are many, many more great things coming from the partner network. They are, without exception, smart people with great skills who are doing amazing work. If youre looking for a local speaker or consultant to make your organization happier and more successful, you can see the whole list of partners here. Are you interested in becoming a partner? Read all about the partnership here. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Importance of Correct Grammar and Spelling During an Executive Job Search

The Importance of Correct Grammar and Spelling During an Executive Job Search Most people don’t need an executive resume service to tell them they should proofread their resume, social media profile and anything else during their job search. However, it’s easy to overlook typographical errors when you’re focusing on many aspects of the job search, as well as trying to balance your personal life. Having correct grammar and spelling on everything tied to your name is of critical importance. Careless mistakes reflect negatively on you and can quickly disqualify you from the position, no matter how innocent the error is. Consider these points when it comes to grammar and spelling during your job searching efforts. Don’t Rely Solely On Spell Check The spell check feature is good for identifying obvious typographical errors, but there are plenty of misspelled words that can get through the check. Feel free to start your proofreading by running the spell check, and then give the document a diligent proofread from start to finish yourself. The best professional resume writers will read over a resume multiple times before finalizing it, simply because it’s easy to overlook mistakes when you’ve spent hours on any given document. Incorrect Grammar And Spelling Can Hurt Your Personal Brand As you’re writing an effective resume, you always have to keep your personal brand in mind and ensure every word is a reflection of it. A grammar issue or a misspelled word can give off a negative perception of your personal brand, since it may appear to some people that you don’t take the time to proofread your work. And if you can’t catch typographical errors in your own resume, what makes a potential employer think you will catch these types of errors on important work documents? You may think this sentiment is a bit over-the-top, but the reality is this is how some hiring managers will see things. Always Get An Expert Opinion You can’t underestimate the importance of having an executive resume service look over your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter or any other document you’ll be using during your job search. These experts are trained to identify even the smallest errors and have a knack for enhancing these documents to put you in a better position for finding the job you desire. Professional Resume Services is a team of the best professional resume writers ready to help you maximize your job searching efforts. Executives have brought us their resume simply to proofread it before they submit anything, and they’ve also come to us to help write their resume from scratch. No matter where you’re at or what your comfort level is with your job search, feel free to contact us if you’re in need of any advice or tips we can help with.

Best Resume Writing Service for Healthcare Professionals

Best Resume Writing Service for Healthcare ProfessionalsWhen you are planning your move to Chicago, one of the first things that you need to consider is which best resume writing service to hire. The process of selecting the right one for you can be a challenging one, but with some effort and planning you will be able to find one that meets your needs.If you are hiring a resume writing service for your new job, there are a few steps that you need to take in order to make sure that your move to Chicago will be successful. With these steps, you will be able to move forward with confidence knowing that your move to Chicago has taken an important step forward.First, you need to consider how you will be using the services of a Chicago healthcare professional. There are several ways that you can find one that meets your needs. Many services offer tips and resources that can help you achieve the best results possible.Some services have the resources to help you plan your career aspirations as well. These can include tips and tools for identifying your greatest talents, information on opportunities that match your preferences, and advice on job growth opportunities that will lead to success. These resources can give you a look at the career opportunities that are available in Chicago as well as how you can find the right professionals to meet your needs.One way to make sure that you find the best Chicago resume writing service is to know what they specialize in. When you know how they work, you will be better equipped to pick a service that matches your needs. For example, a person who specializes in medical careers should be able to write a quality resume that includes information about the different fields that he or she works in.When you look for a Chicago resume writing service, be sure to request a free initial consultation with them. This will allow you to speak with an agent about what you want from your career professional.By following the steps listed above, y ou can move forward confidently knowing that you have chosen the best resume writing service for Chicago healthcare professionals. By choosing a service that can meet your needs, you will have found a reliable and dependable resource.