Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Why Onboarding is More Important Than We Thought

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Why Onboarding is More Important Than We Thought Chief Research Officer and Co-Founder ofAptitude Research PartnersMadeline Lauranorecently shared data from 1,000 organizations to qualify the link between human capital practices and business results. Laurano and her colleagues found that onboarding is the linchpin to everything related to talent management, and both employers and candidates are asking for a new hireexperiencethat is continuous, dialogue-driven, and meaningful. Seventy-three percent of Aptitude’s respondents said that their top talent acquisition priority was a consistent experience for both candidates and employees, while 83 percent said their top engagement priority was a consistent experience. Consistency Consistency, however, is exactly what is lacking. Sixty-seven percent said they currently have a consistent experience for candidates and employees, but less than 40 percent said they have improved their employee experience, while greater than 60 percent said they have improved their candidate experience. Those numbers speak for themselves. Simplicity Not only are our onboarding experiences relatively inconsistent, they are also far too complex. In the last four years, companies doubled their spending on HR technology from $400 million to approximately $2 billion. Fifty percent of respondent companies are using 3+ onboarding solutions, and 1 in 5 plans to increase their onboarding technology investment in 2017. Unfortunately, though, all of these systems have made the onboarding experience quite complicated, and respondents agreed that streamlining and simplifying it is essential. Fortunately, technology providers are now offering experience systems, which differ from traditional HR systems in that they span the entire employee experience, integrate various technologies, are optimized for mobile, and are analytics-based. For the rest of the findings, please visit the SilkRoad blog.

Appreciating Criticism Doesnt Make You a Doormat! Embrace it - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Appreciating Criticism Doesn’t Make You a Doormat! Embrace it - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. ?It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”?~ Winston Churchill Learning how to accept criticism  is crucial for personal improvement. It’s the most direct way to discover what you need to improve.   However, accepting criticism can be emotionally challenging. After all, we’re only human and most people don’t enjoy hearing negative things about themselves.   It’s hard to not take criticism personally.  The first step towards self-improvement is to be fully aware of your strengths. One of the ways I break the ice with my clients is asking them to list for me all their positive character traits. Everyone seems to enjoy this exercise.   We actually take an inventory of their strengths and discuss each one and how they demonstrate these positive traits in their actions.   I encourage my clients to review this list daily, preferably first thing in the morning, so they start their day literally from a point of strength.   The psychological benefits of this exercise are profound.   Once a person is in touch with what makes them special, they can then begin to open themselves to see their limitations. I don’t believe it works as well the other way around. In short, to realize the areas where you are strong is not an end unto itself.   The goal is to build on your strengths, and with a healthy sense of self-esteem embrace your limitations so you can overcome them.   A person with healthy self-esteem can receive criticism, discern what they can learn from it and move on.   They don’t become paralyzed by it and defensive.   In fact, they may even see their ability to manage criticism as one of their strengths! Have you ever noticed that you tried to compliment an extremely accomplished, successful person and they didn’t receive your compliments so well?   In fact, they may have become skeptical of you and thought you may be flattering them because you have a hidden agenda and want to use them for selfish reasons.   Confident people tend to be more trusting of people who deal straight with them and aren’t always trying to stroke their ego.   We often hear stories about famous people strictly entrust their old friends as their confidants for this reason.   They don’t want constant praise but rather someone who will talk straight to them as a real friend do with one another. The same is true in dating.  Women tend to question a guy who is excessively complimentary assuming they are insincere and are wanting to take advantage of them.  Men too can doubt a women’s sincerity when she is overly flattering early on in the relationship.  The concern immediately arises that “she wants me for my money or access to my lifestyle.”  You can begin to see that there is value in having people in our life who give us truthful feedback and arent afraid to offer their opinion even when its a negative one knowing that their constructive criticism won’t jeopardize the relationship. Unfortunately, most of us become defensive when criticized and consequently we block out potentially helpful and life-enhancing tips.   Our knee-jerk reaction to reject negativity about ourselves causes us to miss out on what could be our greatest opportunity for self-growth and improvement. Instead of holding back and introspecting about what the person has said and giving it some consideration, we shut them down, rationalize our actions and even blame others for the mistake.   Our instinctive defensiveness stunts our personal growth as we avoid sifting out the kernel of truth in their critique. Although it’s natural to respond this way it is not necessarily the most elevated and constructive response.   Avoiding and denying the complaint not only inhibits our growth but it can result in making the flawed behavior even more ingrained in our personality structure.   Some experts say that when a person develops a pattern of rejecting all criticism their negative behavior eventually becomes their ideology.   We limit ourselves from achieving our fullest potential when we deny the validity to criticism The benefits of criticism to consider For Personal Growth: 1.       Find the kernel of truth in the criticism: It can help you develop more humility.  By taking an honest look at yourself and your weaknesses, you increase your possibility for growth. 2.     Learn from the criticism in order to improve.   Every critique is a potential secret that could direct you toward positive change 3.     Criticism opens you up to new perspective and new ideas you may not have considered. 4.     Receiving feedback reminds you it’s OK to have flaws.   If you can admit your weakness and work on them without getting down on yourself you’ll experience more happiness, peace, enjoyment and success Strategies for accepting and benefiting from criticism 1.       Externalize the comment:   Isolate the point the critic made and extract the helpful tips from even the most critical feedback.   You can take the bits of advice that make sense to you and discard the rest.   Don’t fall into the trap of becoming defensive or feeling self-conscious.   Use discernment in how you handle the criticism.   Accept the challenge and look for the reason the person criticized you.   Is it constructive or destructive?   Consider his point of view and see if it’s beneficial to you. Be thankful for that someone cares enough to point out our flaws and make us aware of them. 2.     I have adopted a strategy of privately thanking the person for the golden nugget that could ultimately help me achieve my goals!   I don’t necessarily verbalize my appreciation to the critic but more importantly, I think it to myself.   Adopting a sense of humor about your flaws can also help in receiving criticism. Since everyone in this universe has flaws, there’s no reason to feel diminished, inferior or vulnerable when told something is remiss in our behavior.   In fact, the joke is, if you can have a sense of humor about yourself you will be able to sift out the kernel of truth, discern if the criticism is constructive and make the necessary correction that will move you closer to your full potential.  If you have a clear target for improvement when you ask for feedback, youll be better able to use the criticism  constructively  toward achieving your full potential. Author: Beth Kuhel, M.B.A., C.E.I.P (Certified Employment Interview Professional) Beth is Founder and President of Get Hired, LLC.   She advises students on how to bridge the gap from school to career.  Beth is the co-author of  From Diploma to Dream Job: Five Overlooked Steps to a Successful Career  (available on Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461087082) Her coaching assists students to successfully match their needs, interests, passions, skills, and personal goals with the needs of a sustainable industry in a sustainable location.  Beth is also a resource for print and online media and offers workshops for University Career Service Departments, High School Guidance Counselors and College Alumni Associations. See website for more details about Beth’s services  www.fromdiploma2dreamjob.com

Personal Branding Weekly Online and Offline Word of Mouth - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly Online and Offline Word of Mouth - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal branding weekly As editor, of the Personal Branding Blog, I’m grateful and proud of the caliber of authors we having sharing a wealth of insights.   Yet, I know how fast-paced this blog can be with new content posting daily and often several times a day. You may have missed these great posts: • Are You Out of Your Right Mind â€" by Nance Rosen • Handling a Personal Branding Mistake, Inspired by Nicholas Cage â€" by Heather Huhman • Transitioning from Roadblock to Success â€" by Elinor Stutz • Penelope Trunk’s Journey from Trade Publishing to Self Publishing â€" by Roger Parker • Accessories Matter in Personal Branding â€" by Katie Konrath • Beware the Negative Blow-back from a Resume Blast â€" by Skip Freeman • How to Choose Where to Guest Post by â€" Jacob Share • The New Twitter Ostriches   by Oscar del Santo • Video Tips and Ideas for Small Businesses and Brands â€" by Manoush Zomorodi • Some Hiring Managers are Doing it Wrong â€" by Erik Deckers • 13 Branding Experts to Follow on Twitter â€" by the YEC • Job Seekers: Branding Yourself As A Generalist Doesn’t Work â€" by Phil Liebman Upcoming this week on the Personal Branding Blog This week look forward to our covering: • The color of your brand • Do business people really suck at technology startups? • Common resume mistakes that will cost your personal brand • An interview with Ryan Holiday, the author of Trust Me I’m Lying • How to choose your perfect avatar that will take your brand to the next level • The importance and the value that entrepreneurship plays to your career • Is your LinkedIn headline killing your brand? • And, much more! Online and Offline Word of Mouth How often have you met with someone or looked at a person or business because someone suggested/recommended that you do so? Without realizing it, word of mouth marketing has just worked its magic on you. Word of Mouth marketing is powerful. It’s a double edged sword that can bring great positive recommendations or a landslide of negative comments. It can easily make or break a reputation.  And, these days third party feedback and comments can flow from online to offline and online again. First, understand that word of mouth can not only be encouraged but also facilitated. This means that you can control the information you want to put out there to generate enough interest to keep people talking. This takes a lot of thought and planning so that you can get the right message across. It’s important to be brief and be careful about using anything that can carry a negative meaning. Second, keep the conversations going by posting regular updates. The lifespan of a post or update is short â€" so listen and connect with your contacts daily. Third, and most important, is to listen.   When you see people at networking events, mixers or conferences, there’s nothing more valuable than your ability to make someone else feel valued and remembered.   If you can ask a question about an update that they did regarding job, family, a challenge or a trip, you sound much more like someone who “cares” than just someone connecting and playing the numbers game to gather the most connections. For this week, try this: • Identify three people that you’ll listen to more closely and review their updates. • Interact with their updates online with feedback or sharing their information if it’s appropriate and helpful to them. • Connect with them in an offline way â€" either via email, snail mail, or phone call that covers addresses a need or update they shared. For example, a contact of mine voiced that she was struggling with finding the perfect baby shower invite for her sister’s baby shower she was hosting.   I commented on her page on some ideas of where she can shop. Then, I emailed her a link and some specifics of a friend who provides that type of service.  She emailed back to let me know that even though she didn’t order any invites for this occasion from the source I shared with her that she had another event she was planning that she was going to shop them first for.   She also shared that the baby shower was a complete success.   I sent her an actual greeting card saying “congrats” on hosting a great event for her sister. By the way, when her business manager said they needed to review outside sources for social marketing â€" who do you think she recommended? Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucks.com  â€"  a word of mouth marketing firm.   She helps create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is co-founder   and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers.

Top 9 Secrets of the Worlds Best Recruitment Managers

Top 9 Secrets of the World’s Best Recruitment Managers It’s such a common story. You get great at your day job, and start become one of the company’s rising stars. You bill at very high levels compared with your colleagues and people begin to talk about you. You are a high flyer, a top performer, one to watch. Then one day your ambitions become reality. Your boss pulls you into a meeting room and tells you that the company would like to promote you, they want to make you a manager. Woo-HOO! But now what? You are a great recruiter. You place people for fun. But managing staff? Motivating a team? Being a player manager? These are such different skill sets to what you know and are good at. Somehow (in many businesses anyway) you are expected to know what to do. This isn’t a phenomenon restricted to the recruitment industry. In many businesses, great operators are made into managers because they are great at what they have done. For some it’s wonderful, and for others it’s a nightmare, and for all it’s a steep learning curve. The learning curve I was extremely lucky early in my career to work with some exceptional bosses, who not only supported and helped me when I needed it but knew when to get out of the way too. I learned some important lessons by making my own mistakes, but in truth I learned a great deal more from analysing and copying the great managers around me, and from the teachings of my mentors. I’d like to share some of that wisdom with you. 1. Teach the basics and instil great working practices If you spend enough time with your team, lead by example and teach your new consultants the basics of recruitment well, you will help them understand how to run their desk themselves. Set them up for success from the beginning by giving them the right building blocks and training, the right time management skills and exhibit the right behaviours yourself. As the legendary sports coach Professor Frank Dick, OBE says: “If you don’t get the basics right, you will spend a lifetime trying to put them right”. If you do get the basics right the rest will take care of itself. 2. People are individuals, manage them individually This may seem so very obvious, but for a new manager it can be rocket science. What works for one may work for another, but as soon as you make that assumption, you are bound to fail. Learn to understand the differences in people, and differences in their learning styles. Spend enough time with them one-to-one so that you are able develop a real understanding and rapport, and be human to their needs. Only then can you work with them individually. 3. Chicken in a field theory If you place a chicken a very large field, it will peck all over that field in a very superficial way. It will get some of the worms and the seeds, but leave a lot for other chickens to feed from too. If you give a chicken a small field, it will peck deeply and thoroughly, it will find every worm and seed, and it will own the area. The very same is true of recruitment markets and patches. Give a consultant too big a market and they will work that market sporadically and clumsily. It will be hard for them to be able to focus and the quality of their understanding, and subsequently their control of the market will be poor. Give your consultants a smaller, well-defined and more controllable market patch and they will find every opportunity, work every relationship and make it their own. 4. Post-war cake mix theory In the years following the Second World War, manufacturers of packet cake mix produced a product that they thought consumers would love. All you had to do was open the packet, mix the content with water, and bake the cake. So simple, so easy, but such a failure. When sales never took off, the manufacturers changed the recipe, which then required people to add an egg and butter to the mix. Once this change was made, sales rocketed. As a manager it is so easy to do everything for your staff, so that all they have to do is finish the job. This is a massive mistake. Not only does it fly in the face of secret No.1 but it never gives the consultant the ability to develop and grow. They will never feel trusted and definitely never feel challenged. Consultants need to be bought into and involved in the process. They need to add their own ingredients and be allowed to do that in their own way. 5. Rear view mirror theory In most modern cars many things are automated. The lights, the wipers, the door mirrors. They are controlled by electronics and make our lives easier. But in the case of the rear view mirror, you still need to use your hand to move it. It could be controlled by a switch or a knob but it’s not. And why not? Well, some things are best left to be manually controlled. You need to leave a good level of personal involvement in all aspects of your team and your business. You can automate a lot of things, but many are just better being done by hand. Identify what those things are and leave them be. 6. Don’t just hire anyone When you are building the team it is never easy to find the right people. It can be so tempting to hire that person who is nearly right, or who could be right with just a few changes. The right person is the right person, and the wrong person is a disaster. The amount of time you waste hiring, training and eventually sacking the wrong person is enormous, not to mention the stress and management time taken up in the middle somewhere and the impact on the team. Team building is never about bums on seats. Hire the right person or don’t hire at all. 7. You will make mistakes, learn from them I am certain that I have made all the mistakes in management a new manager can make, but I also am proud to say that I think I have learned from every one. Not always immediately, but certainly eventually. You will make plenty of mistakes. This is a good thing, as long as you are able to recognise the mistake, learn from it and be better next time. 8. Get out of the way This secret is something I learned myself the hard way, and I would very much like to save you that pain. It is very much linked to secrets 4 and 5 above. I think in his autobiography Lee Iacocca, the famous American motor industry giant puts this secret best â€" “I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way.” Being in their way can feel stifling to your consultants. It shows a general lack of respect and trust, and ultimately you will lose them to your competitors. Getting out of the way worked for Lee at Ford and Chrysler, it works for Google and Apple today and it can work for you too. Hire the best people you can, train them and teach them all you can, and then let them do what you hired them to do. 9. Take the job seriously, don’t take yourself seriously This secret, taught to me by my first mentor when I became a manager, doesn’t need much explanation. Take the job seriously, but never take yourself seriously. It is so important to remind yourself of when things are tough, and it is often easier said than done. The business is a serious thing. But life, life is a fun thing. About the author: James Nathan runs the James Nathan experience; the Business Development, Sales and Service Excellence Expert for Professional Recruiters.

5 Tips to Motivate Your Business to New Heights

5 Tips to Motivate Your Business to New Heights Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comWhen you work within a company, team work is usually the main factor that contributes to getting work done and with a team that is lacking energy and motivation you are not going to get much done.There are many mistakes we all make without realising that can have a knock on effect and produce a team that does not give their best.It is easy to fall into the trap of becoming demotivated, however if you follow these simple steps you will be well on your way to having a happy team who are eager to work hard and this will reflect on your business and managerial attributes.1. Set Goals and Achieve ThemevalWhen working within your business it is more motivating going forward than it is going backward which we all know. But how do we make that happen?Setting realistic goals and achieving them are what link us to success and lead us to a destination we desire.Outline your objectives first and from here you can create your plan of action whether that is daily or week ly goals, the stepping up in the progress ladder will help you to build that motivation and keep your business going.2. Have Fun and Empower Your TeamRecognizing your employees contributions is vital in the workplace, you should consider introducing a new system that drives a rewards scheme that benefits your employees.Every business needs a strategic reward system in place that addresses a number of areas: compensation, recognition, benefits and appreciation; this sounds as though they are something you couldn’t forget however many businesses are missing these important elements.If you set tasks for your staff to follow you will start to notice the determination in the office and the difference to your company will be clearly noticeable.You should reward your staff for their dedication to the company and the results they produce, not the amount of time they stay behind in work to complete tasks.3. Communication is KeyevalAs a business owner or an employer you should have a welcom ing attitude towards your staff that invites them to discuss any issues that they feel are having an impact on the business.Also, discussing key information with your employees makes them feel involved and let’s them know that they make a difference being there.Following on from this, employees should also feel welcome to discuss any personal issues with a manager/team leader should they feel it is affecting their ability to work.4. Improve Organisational SkillsDo you see a pattern in your workplace, where a select few of your employees are flying through tasks and completing them in an ideal time frame?evalDo you also see the opposite where staff are not meeting company standards, if you are then you need to work on your productivity and organisational skills immediately to create an organised workplace where the business can run smoothly for everyone.5. Protect Your StaffMore and more businesses are turning a blind eye towards Health Safety, they think it has to be complicated but it doesn’t. It is neither costly or time consuming, it is actually very beneficial to companies as it provides staff with a sense of security.It is the law to have Health and Safety training and the approach you take towards it should be suitable for your business taking into consideration the size of your business and what needs you have.

More books - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

More books - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog These should arrive from Amazon any day now :o) Dave Gormans Googlewhack Adventure Storytelling in Organizations: Facts, Fictions and Fantasies Narrating the Organization: Dramas of Institutional Identity (New Practices of Inquiry) The Night of the Morningstar: Modesty Blaise (Modesty Blaise S.) The Silver Mistress (Modesty Blaise S.) The Borrible Trilogy: The Borribles, The Borribles Go for Broke, Across the Dark Metropolis Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics A Bell for Adano The Consultants [AUDIOBOOK] Market Forces (Gollancz SF S.) Principle-centered Leadership Tyranny of the Moment: Fast and Slow Time in the Information Age The Getaway Man (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) Down Here (Burke Novels) Smart Love: The Compassionate Alternative to Discipline That Will Make You a Better Parent Your Child a Better Person Another Chance to Get It Right Power of Servant Leadership Catch!: A Fishmongers Guide to Greatness Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other Peoples Minds Newtons Wake Happy Mondays: Putting the Pleasure Back into Work The Office The Complete Series 1 (2 Disc Set) [2001] Lost Horizons The Office Series 2 [2001] 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 More books - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Im almost through with the last batch of books, so Ive ordered some more. Heres a list of what I will be enjoying soon: Business titles: The Customer Comes Second: Put Your People First and Watch em Kick Butt (Revised) The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People Action Learning: A Practitioners Guide The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-era Organizations Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination Freedom and Accountability at Work Nuts!: Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success Psychology: Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness Playful Approaches to Serious Problems: Narrative Therapy with Children and Their Families Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence Loving What Is: How Four Questions Can Change Your Life Assorted science: The Web of Life: A New Synthesis of Mind and Matter Chaos: Making a New Science Wittgensteins Poker: The Story of a Ten Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers What Just Happened? Science fiction: To Hold Infinity Dark Light: Engines of Light Book 2 (Engines of Light) Engine City (Engines of Light) Redemption Ark (Gollancz S.F.) Misspent Youth Eight Skilled Gentlemen And of course some music to listen to while reading: Serve Chilled Vol.1 Astor Piazzolla The Golden Age of Tango Melody A.M. Another Late Night Zero 7 The order should arrive in a week or so, I cant wait to get started! Reviews will appear continuously. 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

Need Help Writing Your Resume? Hire Professional Resume Writing Services

Need Help Writing Your Resume? Hire Professional Resume Writing ServicesIf you are looking for a resume writing service that will help you put together a good job application and cover letter, then Scranton, Pennsylvania may be the right place for you. This city offers many well-known companies to hire, which means your resume is sure to be well received by many of them. Employers in this area are very competitive, so you will find yourself being hired fairly quickly if you follow the basic job application rules.Having a resume that is presented professionally will mean a lot when it comes to landing a job at one of the many places in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Your resume should include contact information such as your mailing address and telephone number. You should also provide some information about your educational background. Some employers like to know if you have obtained certification that will allow you to work in a particular field.People in Scranton, Pennsylvania would prefe r to interview you over a person who presents a poorly written resume. This is because the employer knows that there is a high chance that the resume will not meet with his or her approval. It is important to make sure that you hire professional resume writing services because they know what to include in order to produce a professional application.When you use the services of resume writing services, you will find that the process of putting together a resume can be a little more involved than you first thought. The person who does your resume will need to make sure that your background and educational background are correct, which is especially important if you have obtained an education while working on the side for a variety of companies. It is also important that you understand exactly what is required in order to submit your resume correctly. In fact, many people find that hiring resume writing services is a very good idea because it guarantees to create a perfectly constructe d resume.One of the most important things to remember when you are looking for resume writing services in Scranton, Pennsylvania is that you want someone who has experience with your field of employment. As mentioned above, there are many different types of jobs in this area. Many of them require the same amount of education and experience. However, there are other fields that may require additional education or experience.Your resume needs to be relevant and professional, because employers will usually go through many resumes before they choose who to interview. This means that you will be an important part of the decision, and your resume will be very important when you get a call to set up an interview. It is important to keep your resume current, but it is also important to make sure that your resume is in compliance with all local regulations.This is why hiring professional resume writing services in Scranton, Pennsylvania is so important. They know how to put together a resume that will give employers a very good impression of you. With the help of these services, you will be able to find a job easily, and you will also find that the work that you do will be very satisfying.Hiring resume writing services in Scranton, Pennsylvania will help you find a job quickly and efficiently. When you are looking for the best resume writing services in the area, you will want to make sure that you hire the services of a company that specializes in writing resumes. You will find that the company that you choose will be able to help you achieve both of these goals very quickly.