The Basics of Building a Productive Workforce

The Basics of Building a Productive Workforce What can you do to improve the motivation of your employees? Its time to take it back to basics, as I list my top three fundamental factors I believe effects employees in the workplace. It can be as simple as giving your office a new lick of paint, or increasing collaboration in the office, but these things all work to increase productivity and boost motivation. 1) Environment: The working environment can effect motivation in employees for a few reasons, all of which play a large part in the productivity and overall effectiveness of the workforce. It can be as simple as the colour of the walls, so what three things can you change up to increase motivation? Lighting   Lighting is a very important aspect of a good working environment. Having low quality lighting can cause issues including eye strain, fatigue and its even been proven that low lighting can add to the effects of depression. Its important to keep your employees eyes happy so invest in a good lighting system, preferably with natural light bulbs. Put down the florescent tube lighting, NOW! Wall colour Its been proven that colour can profoundly influence behaviour. So what colour is best for motivation? It depends! Go for blue if youre looking for a relaxing and motivating boost. Opt for yellow if youre looking to increase creativity and alertness. Red has been proven to increase motivation of those doing physical work, and green is a good colour to use if you want to promote the idea of balance! Take your pick. Furniture Having a suitable desk and chair for your employees is an important aspect of  employee wellbeing which leads to improved productivity. Make sure you provide adjustable desk chairs and dont forget pillows and cushions if necessary. Including risers to adjust the level of screens will work wonders in improving posture and comfort at work. 2)  People: Interaction with work colleagues is such an important part of work life. The experience of working at your brand can be greatly affected by the employees who you choose to employ. You can use this interaction as a way to promote productivity in the workplace, and as well as the added boost in motivation, employees will also feel happier and enjoy work much more. Collaboration Collaboration in the workplace is important for so many reasons. Firstly it allows for added creativity and discussion not only will this increase friendships in the workplace, but will later on improve motivation as they enjoy the experience of working in your company. High performers If you think theres an employee who needs an extra push in the right direction, surround them with high performers. A study undertaken by Michigan State University revealed that those who were the “weakest link” on a running team  improved the quickest when  performing as part of a high-achieving team and this can work in the office too. 3) Basic needs: The old fashioned method of tasks and rewards is SO  nineties. Employees need more than a monetary bonus or a dinner from their boss. Instead, they need what they really want more annual leave, a flexible schedule and the chance of promotion. Annual leave Its important to remember that taking a break from work can increase productivity when at work. So letting employees have a good break every now and then will work wonders for productivity. Richard Branson has even let Virgin Group employees have as many days leave as they want and its working wonders for their productivity. Flexibility Employees will really appreciate a more flexible schedule when it comes to work why not offer the chance to work from home or  from a different location? Or  change the official working hours of the company and see what happens to productivity and workplace motivation? Growth Nothing is more motivating than knowing youre near a possible promotion. This is why its important to provide the chance of growth and manoeuvrability within your company. Your employees will appreciate it. What else do you think are fundamentals in improving workplace productivity? Let us know on Twitter @UndercoverRec

5 Ways to Make Your Job Post Stand Out From the Crowd

5 Ways to Make Your Job Post Stand Out From the Crowd Recruiters and employers are constantly trying out some new way  of  creating  job postings. We will do whatever we can to get noticed. If you’re trying to attract talented people, then it’s vital you find a way to get your job post to stand out from the crowd. According to the BBC, a UK worker will change employer  every five years, meaning there’s always a wealth of talent on the lookout for a new job. But how do you make sure you get their attention when you’re looking to fill a vacancy? Follow these five tips to make your job posts stand out from the crowd. 1. Talk about your future When writing your job post, include your future plans for the position in the description. You’ll find yourself attracting more qualified applicants if you show that you’re investing in additional resources and have specific targets to hit. Job seekers want to know that they’ll be valued in their next position, so show them your vacancy is the chance for long-term career development and success. 2. Include the finer details Your advert should be as clear as possible when describing the position’s regular tasks and responsibilities, but don’t forget to be just as detailed about other factors. When listing where your company is, include information about public transport links and the amenities of the surrounding area. If you’re pitching yourself as an ‘award-winning company’, state what awards these are and always let people know as much as possible about employee benefits. 3. Use creative job titles There may be 20 vacancies for ‘Marketing Strategist’, so why not hire a ‘Marketing Guru’? Creative job titles are a fantastic way for you to promote your business culture and show you’re invested in people, rather than simply trying to plug a hole in your workforce. However, you must be careful to not make the position sound too trivial.  Adler  advises that ‘guru’, ‘geek’ and ‘ninja’ are appealing titles to use, though ‘maestro’, ‘dynamo’ and ‘overlord’ will likely turn candidates away. 4. Stretch your media muscles The information provided in job adverts can seem formulaic, so why conform to the same old text-based posts hundreds of other companies use? If you’re hiring for a designing or illustrating role, create an infographic so candidates can read about the position whilst getting a sense of your company’s creativity; record a podcast that interviews staff members, allowing the candidate to hear first-hand what to expect; or go all-out with a video to visually share your company’s personality with prospects. 5. Share it on social media You shouldn’t just keep your vacancy on traditional job sites â€" make sure you’re also promoting yourself through your available social media profiles. LinkedIn is one of the best platforms as it is the most career-driven and you can allow candidates to submit their CVs linked to their profiles. If budget allows, you can also attract applicants through promoted posts on Facebook and Twitter. The more you amplify your position online, the sooner you can make the right hire! When you invest more time and resources in your job posts, they’re likely to stand out from the crowd of your competitors. Remember that you can create assets such as infographics and videos to be used across all your adverts, no matter what vacancy you’re filling. The sooner you put across a strong image of your company, the sooner you’ll receive quality applications and you can turn your attention to hiring the perfect person for your company. About the author:  James Story  is a Senior Content Specialist at Search Laboratory and has written articles on everything from e-commerce to marketing, technology, leisure, lifestyle and travel.

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career For career and job search direction, you must answer the fundamental question “What do you do?” Your answer is a basic component of your personal brand and is intertwined with your choice of profession. There are thousands of professional specialties, most you dont know about. What are the odds that you have chosen (or fallen into) the optimal one? Based upon my observations, I would say it is highly unlikely you have gotten lucky and chosen the optimal one or even one in its vicinity. That’s why this article could be of value to you. There is a saying among career professionals that “Most people spend more time planning their next vacation than they spend planning their entire career.” This may explain why notable numbers of 20, 30, 40, and even 50 somethings admit to me that they dont know what they want to be “when they grow up.” Many feel stuck due to their education or historical career track. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s the good news: It’s not as hard to identify good professional options for yourself as you might think. As noted in the third chapter of my career book Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), you may be able to solve this riddle using some readily available online assessments and some exploration effort. It is likely to require more work than planning your next vacation, but the potential future rewards will be worth it! Before we look at a suggested process for defining career options, it is important to be aware of common pitfalls that you may have experienced or could encounter in the future. Three examples that you should approach with caution (I’m being polite here) are the selection of your profession based upon: The advice of others who have known or unrealized personal biases (family members, friends, etc.) A longing to emulate someone you admire, to please them or to achieve their status. The career guidance of questionable career assessment tools (MBTI, most all personality tests, pop psychology such as “strengths” tests, Ouija boards, etc.) So, if you are not going to choose your profession based upon the opinions or tools that 95%+ of all humans use, what do I suggest? Here is an outline of some of the process I use in my practice and detail in Chapter 3 of my book: 1. Take the CISS career interests and skills assessment for around $20 at www.profiler.com. 2. Take the MAPP career motivations assessment Starter Package for around $70 at www.assessment.com. Ignore the narrative section. 3. Consider the top motivational professions identified by the MAPP. Which ones make sense to you based upon your level of education and willingness to gain more, if required? Which ones make sense based upon your past work experience, skills, and knowledge? Which ones make sense based upon what your “gut” says that you would enjoy? It is likely that these questions will get you to a short list of 2-5 options. 4. Now, compare your short list to how these options scored on the CISS. Those that indicate high skills and interests would seem to be more likely matches. You should be down to a list of 1-3 options. 5. Now, ask yourself if the option or options make sense to pursue. For those that remain that you have done before, you have a strong knowledge of what it would be like to pursue them. For those that would be new, you will need to conduct informational interviews to learn more before making a go/no-go decision to pursue. One cautionary note: Your choice of profession can gain or cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars of income and expense. The do-it-yourself process I have outlined will not be effective for everyone. For many, working with a career professional for guidance would make more sense than relying completely on what I have outlined here. It’s your life and career. Consider investing effort now, so you can reap the financial and emotional rewards for years to come. Best wishes for you success! Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

The New Girl Nice - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The New Girl Nice - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I had the opportunity to spend Friday afternoon and evening with Zooey Deschanel, star of the hit Fox show The New Girl. She filmed an upcoming episode at one of my companies’ locations, and the producers cast my business partner Jon Torerk and several of BioMechanixLA trainers in the show. I can’t give away too much more than that, except to say that the plot is really funny, other high wattage stars were there, and a village of production people swarmed the location. Zooey is her own personal brand. She’s quirky, comedic and very assertive. She’s also really pretty with inimitable style. I’ve been working with the show’s location scout for about three weeks, putting all the details together on our side â€" including casting and logistics, and had met the technical team and set designers. Every single interaction had plenty of smiles, a good amount of socializing, and always topped off with a hug or hearty handshake.  No matter how pleasant everyone was, it did not prepare for the dynamics of the day. The start of an eventful day Trucks and equipment pulled up at 1 PM, stretching several blocks long. An army of what appeared to be about 150 crew members began trickling in until the place was swarming. In less than three hours, whole sets were built, the environment was transformed, and a few rooms of what looked like air traffic control stations were set up. The shoot ended ten hours later. What was most remarkable about the entire production was how NICE everyone was. I mean everyone. The director, the sound people, camera people, grips, guys that move stuff, and people who suddenly appear with food trucks filled with fresh delicious meals made before your eyes, and the location scouts who were on their feet for hours and hours.   Everybody made conversation, told stories, interacted with my staff, asked questions, compared their ice cream treats, showed us where there was food and more food, and loved answering questions about what they’d done that landed them where they are now. They were all happy people. Happy to work that hard. Happy to do what they did â€" at every level. Happy to learn about us and hear our stories. I’ve worked in television and radio for decades â€" but I’ve never done a sit-com or spent that long with a cast and crew in one day. The currency that got everyone through it was being nice. Thoughtful, funny, generous, kind, patient and totally focused on doing whatever it would take to get the job done right â€" with a priority on keeping all the relationships intact, and actually improved. After hearing so much grief about bosses, co-workers, subordinates and clients from so many people in business, I think I have an approach that might change the workplace dynamic. If you’re struggling with relationships at work, how about going Hollywood and being nice? Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

E-learning Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 CareerMetis.com

E-learning Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 â€" CareerMetis.com By now, we’ve learned that the learning process doesn’t end once you graduate from college. Hence, the term “learning” should not be mixed with education. The main reason to that is simply because education yields temporary results, while learning brings permanent and lifetime improvements.We are capable of absorbing knowledge throughout our whole life and it is never too late to learn new things if you are determined and motivated enough.“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” ? Zig ZiglarevalThe problem about learning is that, in this day and age, things change extremely fast. Worldwide knowledge and experience keeps growing exponentially.For example, something that we learned in high school or a college a few years ago, may have drastically changed in the meantime. As days and time goes by, scientists, professors and many researchers come to new knowledge even on a daily basis.You can see why it is ev erything but strange that our knowledge and skills can easily become outdated and irrelevant in no time.So, how can we overcome this problem? With constant learning. With constant hunger for new knowledge, and personal improvement.Just like working out regularly helps our bodies stays in a good shape, constant learning helps our minds stay healthy and proactive which consequently results in a constant growth of our learning capacities.Luckily for everyone, as internet advanced, new and better concept of learning has been developing and improving, too. And finally, over the course of only few years, we have been introduced to the completely new and revolutionizing concept of learning, also known as the e-learning.Ever since the e-learninghas been introduced to the global community, it has only made a positive impact on the community, making the learning process easier and more acceptable for everyone.evalPeople even started to recognize the trend and the ambition of learning, and sta rted up businesses which offered e-learning as a service on their websites.Today, there are plenty of e-learning platforms and websites available online, which makes e-learningavailable and reachable to everyone, making constant learning absolutely possible for anyone, anywhere and at any time.There is no doubt that e-learninghave brought us many and many benefits, but in order to keep your attention, we have made a short list of just few benefits that e-learningbrings:You can learn from anywhere, anytime and start over when you want.You can choose what to learn and even learn what you love.You can obtain or improve your skills and keep up to date with new trendsYou can save more money, since e-learning is more affordable.E-learningis personalized, innovative and interactive approach of gaining knowledge.As we’re now nearing the end of year 2017, we think it’s the right time to look at the status of the e-learning industry and see what we can expect from to see in 2018.evalThis infographic from Zeqrreveals some interesting stats about the current statistics, e-learning trends, most popular e-learning platformsand much moreInfographic Credit -Zeqr.com

Book review Payoff by Dan Ariely - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Book review Payoff by Dan Ariely - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Payoff,?The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations, is a short?book with an important message: We suck at motivation. Based on?fascinating research from workplaces and psychology labs ?all over the world, the book documents how we?consistently?fail to understand what really motivates ourselves?and others and consequently?end up ?killing motivation off, when we try to strengthen it, much of the time. Nowhere is this more obvious?than in the workplace, where a blind belief in the power of bonuses, raises, promotions and perks has?kept managers doing the wrong things for (or to) their employees for decades. Dan Ariely, a professor?of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, is the perfect?person to convey this message. As a researcher he has conducted fascinating and very elegant experiments to uncover what motivates and demotivates us. He shared two of these in this TED talk: In Payoff he uses?his own?research and that of others to get to the truth of motivation. And while he clearly shows that performance?bonuses?can actually reduce?performance, he also shares the?factors that motivate us to do better. These include things like praise, meaningful work and a real connection to the people you work with. This is a short book (120 pages) but that just counts in its favor, in my opinion. It is a captivating read, incredibly?useful and highly entertaining in fact I laughed our loud several times while reading it. In short,?I hope I have motivated you to read this book :) Related posts Why rewards dont motivate Study: Positive feedback increases intrinsic motivation A motivational tip that actually works 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

Executive Resumes Dont Brand Themselves

Executive Resumes Dont Brand Themselves At least twice a week clients will ask me if their resumes have enough brandingspecifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO. Your executive brand doesnt always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what youve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are. How Do You Make Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume? Your brand is something that makes you uniquely you. Youve had a steady career progression and along the way have honed your skills, learned new things, and carved out a name for yourself. You have distinguished yourself from others this way. Youve also used your qualities to guide you to the next level in your career. A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand. To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand? I know sometimes this can feel like a difficult thing to do. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.