The world is seriously changing rapidly and for the better. This really hit me this week when I stood in front of a bunch of industry people and reflected back to about 10 years ago. Oh how my working world was different.
WhiteNow present year after year to the fresh, keen audiences at the GMDC (the Gaming Managers Development Course). This year we presented to about 70 eager beavers on the same topic as we are asked to deliver every year – ‘Designing an Effective Resume’. Every time we deliver, the presentation has to change as the world progresses. The only thing that doesn’t change is that I still wear the same old Wizard outfit that I have been wearing for years ! It is pretty ridiculous but I think it has the desired outcome which is that everyone remembers the presentation from ‘that loud lady in the purple Wizard outfit’. It’s really interesting though to reflect on what we presented today and what we presented just 10 years ago. Looking back on the notes from 2006 I see that some of the topics include things like;
The best colour paper to print your resume on for faxing (this one is funny – White Now haven’t owned a fax for the past 8 years);
How to draft the ideal fax cover sheet so it stands out (I don’t even remember how to do that now);
The best ways to bind a resume for posting;
How to professionally label an envelope with a professionally; printed label …PLUS placing stamps neatly on envelopes; AND
How to send a certified letter to the employer (sending resumes was really quite expensive back then).
Oh how the world has changed. This year we talked about totally different things including;
Locking down your social media pages;
Being careful about what you say online on blogs, LinkedIn Groups etc;
Googling yourself often;
Preparing your LinkedIn File and gaining recommendations;
Online networking; AND
‘Talent Sourcing’.
Oh how the world has changed in just 10 years. I am so glad that our team are all like minded in the fact that we move with the times and often faster than the times. One thing I do know about what we do 10 years on is that we are a whole lot more efficient with changes in technology. Faxing resumes used to be so damn time consuming let alone receiving at least 220 resumes a week via fax. The savings in reams of paper is incredible in itself.
Do you want to be efficient in the way you get yourself noticed in this industry ? Get yourself online and especially on LinkedIn. Your FUTURE colleagues are on LinkedIn so start networking with them in this virtual world so that when you meet them in person, you already have a relationship ! Connect with me on LinkedIn too – I would love to share some virtual space with you. Connect with me, Jenny White, on LinkedIn here.
Also, a big shout out to Leagues Clubs Australia and Aristocrat for their amazing support of the GMDC year after year. You guys are incredible ! THANK YOU !
At the start of this month I made a conscious effort to support small, local businesses. It was my month to give back to those
“The Butcher Who Must Not Like Money”
who are making a go of it, often on their own, and have fought many obstacles to try and succeed. I appreciate this having run my own business for almost 20 years. Business owners are dedicated and work so hard.
Often before work I stop at the local Lebanese bakery and pick up some ‘Leb bread’, hommous and garlic dip for the night’s dinner. I always have mince in the freezer and Lebanese ‘7 spice’ in the cupboard to make my own Kafta to go with dinner. Someone told me about the butcher that was two doors up from the bakery and said that his meat was nice. I always looked at that butcher and thought “gee he has hardly any meat on display – he must be struggling to make ends meet”. This morning I decided to support him by buying my week’s meat from him. I chose his ready made Kafta, some lovely looking rump steaks, a bunch of sausages, lamb chops and a small pork roast. The total of the purchase was $72 ish. I went to hand my card over and he said that he only takes cash. Upon questioning him as to why, he said that ‘Credit Cards are too much of a hassle and it’s not worth it to me’. I explained to him that I had no cash on me and I was about to make him my new butcher. His response was “oh well – it is not my fault you didn’t see my sign there that says cash only”. I gave the logic one more go and said “I’m not the best at maths but I’m pretty sure that if I buy this amount of meat from you every two weeks, then that’s about $1,800 a year you’re missing out on by not taking credit card”. He said, “oh well, it’s my policy“. I handed the meat back.
Imagine the lost revenue to this tiny business if just 10 people had the same experience as me, yup that’s about $18,000 pa going somewhere else but in his hand.
How many other customers had said the same to him ? How many times had he not listened ? As the world moves rapidly to a cashless world, how long will this butcher survive ?
Moving with the times and meeting the expectations of customers that truly want to give you business is the only way to do business.
Oh well, I tried. The Kafta was nice though – lucky I had $20 on me !
“How much of your marketing budget as a percentage goes towards attracting CUSTOMERS to your business?”
I don’t want to know how much you spend or what you spend it on, but rather WHO you spend it on…
If I were to hazard a guess, I would suggest that 100% of whatever you spend is targeted at attracting CUSTOMERS and not EMPLOYEES.
Why is this?
In most businesses, but particular in hospitality – we so often hear the cliched, throw-away line “our people are our difference”. This is usually backed up with something like, “we all have bars, beer, pokies, keno and food. But what really sets us apart from our competition is our staff. They are what make our business SPECIAL”.
This is a lovely sentiment for sure, but it gets me to wondering quite what “YOU” are actually doing to attract these amazing employees. Just recently, we were asked to run a workshop at the RSL & Services Clubs 14th Annual Conference on the subject of (How To) “Build a Winning Team”. In attendance were over 20 businesses ranging from small-ish hospitality venues to very large multi-nationals. As part of my research for the workshop, I studied each businesses’ website and social media presence to gain an understanding of what sort of effort they put in to attracting “winning candidates” and the results were quite disconcerting. Now, before I go any further – I’d like to say that these businesses are far from unique and credit where credit is due, they were in the workshop to learn more and to do something about it. So please don’t think that I’m beating them up in a public forum – quite the reverse! I am grateful for their attendance and was supremely impressed with the vigour and passion that they showed towards learning how to go about attracting people that would make a difference to their businesses. What I am hopefully also doing is using their businesses (collectively and anonymously) as examples of not knowing any better and as confirmation of the greater problem that is out there – VERY FEW BUSINESSES are doing much (if anything) to attract the sorts of candidates that will add value to their business. They are almost passive about the whole process and do not have a plan or an understanding…
So, what is “Employee Marketing”? Simply put, it is the methods, information and strategies used to attract candidates to look at your business and then WANT to WORK for your business. In the past, businesses very much took the approach of telling candidates what they wanted with little regard for what candidates wanted or needed.
The tables have somewhat turned. With the advent of the internet, ‘everyone’ is a research analyst and is fossicking around in the deepest darkest corners of your website and social media forums for clues, hints and confirmation of what it is like to work in your organisation. You see candidates are doing as much research on where they are going to work as employers are doing on resumes, background checks and references of employees.
I am hoping that most of you know that Google consistently ranks in the top 2 or 3 employers globally. Why? Google puts in a MASSIVE effort to lure talent to its numerous international offices and it broadcasts a very loud and very clear message – “Working at Google ROCKS! It’s fun. It’s creative. And we take care of you.” (These are my words, not theirs incidentally). If you have a moment, please take a look at Google Sydney’s Career Page (https://www.google.com/about/careers/locations/sydney/) – on there you’ll find a wealth of information about teams; video on what it’s like to work at Google; pictures of the offices (which are really “cool”) and lots of information about the sorts of things that go on in Google Sydney. Google basically does a really good job of “selling” all of the positives of working for them and answers a candidate’s questions before they are even asked.
Looking beyond Google and their careers page, a lot of candidates are doing their research via social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and LinkedIn are the main ones, but others are also being used to help candidates form a picture of a company’s:
Culture (& how staff are treated/seen)
Hiring Methods
Values
Structure
Revenues
Targets
Customers
Success
Potential
Pay Scales
Corporate Responsibility
Community Involvement
Team Morale
Etc.
Etc.
In a competitive market where the great candidates get scooped up quickly, candidates are looking for reasons TO WORK for you and if they can’t find them online, but they can find positive information on your competition……..guess where they’re heading (or at least hoping to head)?
So, what can you do about this? Break it down in to bite-size chunks that start with a long-hard look at who you are as an employer and what you offer your employees. If the answer is “not much”, start to think about the sorts of things that you can start providing them with – a fruit basket; annual flu shots; a weekend off once a month (or more); additional leave; a fantastic staff room with all the mod-cons (Eg. XBOX/PS4; music; comfy seating; privacy cubicles) and a range of things that haven’t even been thought of as yet!
From there, start thinking about how you are going to get the message out there that this is what you provide to your staff, without it necessarily sounding like an “advert” – I’d suggest that pictures of your staff in the new staff room or of them having their flu shots on your ‘Careers or Employment” webpage AND your Facebook Page. And before you say, “REALLY????” – think about the number of club websites that have pictures of a (generally mature) Board of Directors in their Club blazers with a serious look on their faces. What sort of message do you think that sends to a future Gen-Y (or Gen-Z who will be coming through next)? A picture says a thousand words as the saying goes – so why not have some pictures of your staff having fun and being involved in the community? It will send a far better message about the sort of employer that you are than the picture of the (Stodgy) Board and (Cranky) Senior Management Team does!
Beyond this, try to put yourself in the place of a candidate or a future employee and think about the sorts of questions that they would like answered and what it is that will encourage them to accept a role with your organisation over one offered by another (remember, candidates rarely only apply for ONE role. They apply for many and if they’re a good candidate, chances are they’ll be offered a couple of opportunities. What is it that will make them accept YOURS?). Think of the employers out there that people can’t wait to work for and WHY – names such as: Google; Apple; Red Bull; SalesForce; StarLight Children’s Foundation & Red Balloon Days – and research what it is that they are doing to make them employers of choice. From there, try to mimmick some of their ideas – so long as they fit with your organisation’s culture and please keep in mind……..a fancy staff room or fresh fruit every day won’t make up for a toxic environment where staff are undervalued and treated poorly. The physical “things” that Google and the like are doing only work because they genuinely care about their employees and want them to be the best that they can be at what they do – – – – – – being creative! The reason Google wants them to be happy and therefore being creative is because Google recognises that in the long run, this makes them $$$…….a LOT OF $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
The correlation between happy employees and profits is a funny one. Anyone that has worked in a happy environment will tell you that it is not an easy thing to create and even if you do, success is not assured. But there is little doubt (the stats prove it) that successful organisations are most commonly HAPPY organisations and so investing in the happiness of your teams is much more likely to result in bottom line improvements (even with the additional costs)!
I realise that in the writing of these blogs, that the impression might be that I think that doing whatever it is in the subject of the blog is “simple” or “easy” or “common knowledge”. Let me categorically say that this is NOT the case! I recognise just how difficult Employee Marketing (and most of the subjects of my other blogs) is and that it is a journey that begins with something small, that hopefully gains momentum so that it becomes more commonplace. After all – think about the majority of things of true value that have come your way and then think about the effort that was involved to get them. Generally, nothing of any value comes without sacrifice, effort or commitment.
In 1988, a well-known “philosopher” by the name of Bobby McFerrin wisely said, “Don’t worry, be happy!”. And I challenge anyone that was of an age at the time to remember his no. 1 song, NOT to be singing it in their heads right now – in fact I think I can hear you whistling the intro out loud right now!!! (But just in case – here you go)…
I would hope that most of us recognise the importance of being happy both at work and at play. Unfortunately though, all too often the words “happy” and “work” don’t seem to feature in the same sentence unless it’s along the lines of, “I’m so happy that it’s the weekend and work is over for another week” or words to that effect!
Studies all over the world show that happy employees are more productive, successful and motivated. So what can you do to be one ‘these’ employees (rather than one of “THOSE” employees)?
Choose to be Happy – You Are In Charge!
Simple Right? If only… Life, family, finances, romance, neighbours, friends, vehicles, pets, etc, etc, can all get in the way of us being happy. Sometimes through intent, but mostly quite by accident. You see we all get so caught up in “life” in general that sometimes we forget all about being happy and doing things to make us happy.
We all have a right to happiness and so it is up to YOU to CHOOSE to be happy. The power of positive thought is miraculous! So when you get out of bed in the morning, rather than choosing to harp on the lack of sleep you had; the headache that you’ve got; the pile of work that you’re going to head in to, CHOOSE to look outside at the sun shining and thank your lucky stars that you’re alive and in a position to be able to take charge of your destiny and make a difference. (And I’ll bet you, even if it’s only something very, very small, you’ll make a change and feel better).
Love Every Day
Find something that makes you truly happy and do it every day. It might be walking the kids to school or reading your book. We’re all different, but that’s the point – we are all different and it’s not up to me or anyone else to prescribe what will make YOU happy. That’s YOUR job and so stop to think what it is that puts a smile on your face and then make the time to keep on doing it. Go on! You know you want to and you know you’ll feel better for doing so – so what are you waiting for, huh???
Take Charge of Your Personal and Professional Growth Throughout my management career, I have always been surprised by the number of people that want success to land in their laps. Accusations of “you haven’t developed me” or “you haven’t promoted me” and yet when I have asked, “what have YOU done to develop yourself or earn that promotion” I’ve been met by a blank stare, hunched shoulders and a “you just don’t get it” attitude.
My question to all of you is this: “why is it a manager’s or an organisation’s responsibility to better you as an employee?” Sure, I am all for supporting personal growth and development, but surely as adults we need to take accountability for our own futures? What I mean by this is that I am all for a manager supporting an interested and motivated employee and the manager requesting financial (or ‘time off’) support from the organisation and even assisting with mentoring the person and/or providing exposure to information and opportunity. But what I don’t support is the onus being on the manager/organisation to run around the building looking for people to drop training courses and development opportunities in the laps of!
Take control of your development and if this means that you need to initiate and even pay for the process yourself, then go ahead and do so. The organisation doesn’t “OWE” you anything, but is far more likely to WANT to support someone who is showing initiative, drive and determination rather than one that is waiting for a handout.
Seek And You Shall Find
When was the last time you asked for feedback? Most of us like to know how we are tracking – whether it’s about being patted on the back for a job well done; being slipped an extra couple of $$$ in our pay packets or being told that we’re on track. I liken this to a journey from a place that you know to a place that you have never been before! Sure, you might end up there eventually, but if you can get some direction before you start and then at regular points along the way, you are far more likely to get to your destination on time and in a good mood than if you are stressed out from getting lost and being challenged along the way. You’re also much more likely to be able to go back to the place that you’ve visited the next time without as much guidance…
Requiring feedback can be a bit of a two-edged sword. Managers are generally busy people and depending upon their personal quota of emotional intelligence, they may see you as needy and a nuisance. Again, to assist you with this, an analogy. When you were a child or for those of you that have children of your own – think about how frustrated parents become with children when they pick the most inopportune times to ask for something. Whether that be a play-date with their little mate or to go to the toilet at the restaurant or if it’s to ask why the person on the bus only has one arm or talks funny. Kids are masters of asking the RIGHT question at the WRONG time. Why? Simply because they are learning and testing the boundaries. And without making a few mistakes, they will never learn when the right time is.
Keeping the above analogy in mind, there is generally a wrong time and a BETTER time to ask for feedback. Personally, I never had a problem with one of my team asking me for a moment of my time. By requesting a moment, I was able to either stop there and then if my schedule permitted or alternatively, make a time to stop and provide them with my full attention. What was frustrating was those in the team that were completely oblivious to whatever I was doing and would push in and demand my attention when it was either impractical, inappropriate or downright rude. As with most things in life, try to be considerate and treat others as you would like to be treated and the results are usually that much more positive (and effective)!
Be Aware & Present (Know What’s Happening, When!)
Make a conscious effort to be involved and aware of what is going on around you in your business. Make sure you are up to date with all the goings on and make it your mission to know where to obtain the information that will enable you to be a moving part in a dynamic organisation. Business does not stand still for too long, at least not without falling over, so make sure that you are keeping up with what is happening in and around the business and what is on the horizon.
Side Note: Just make sure you don’t come across as a sticky-beak as no-one likes nosy Parker.
Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
I don’t know about you, but nothing stresses me more than knowing that I am going to let someone down! My stomach churns, my pulse quickens and I lose (a lot of) sleep! Often we’ve only got ourselves to blame because we find it hard to say “no” when someone asks us to do something. This is an admirable trait in many respects, but it is often not conducive to making us happy in the workplace and often reduces our productivity through stress and procrastination.
You’d be surprised how much respect you can achieve when you politely say “no” to someone. Obviously there is a time and a place and it will always come down to how you handle each specific situation. But don’t be afraid to politely decline an extra workload if you think that you won’t be able to achieve it or equally as importantly – if you think that you’ll only be able to do an average (or below average) job!
Steer Clear of the Water Cooler!
OK. OK. So not all businesses have water coolers that staff stand around bitching about “Mavis in accounts or Derek in the mail room”. But you get the idea!
Avoid putting yourself in situations where the negativity will get the better of you! If “everyone else” is chatting about how crap the organisation is or what a terrible manager ‘blogs’ is, then some (possibly a lot) of the negativity is going to rub off on to you. When you’re up and pumped, you seem to have a natural reflective force field against this sort of chatter, but when you’re not feeling quite so positive about the world, the negativity finds a way to get through and wind its way in to your subconscious. Know how you’re feeling and how you’ll react to this sort of thing and then choose to avoid it or excuse yourself from it. You’ll feel so much better in the long run.
Do NOT Fear Conflict (Creative Abrasion)
Not all conflict is bad! In fact, conflict can be extremely positive and effective so long as it is handled respectfully and with some basic rules of engagement. A term for this that was doing the rounds a little while back was “Creative Abrasion” and there is plenty of info on the internet about what this is, how it works and why it is good for an organisation.
According to Google: “Creative abrasion is a phrase coined by Jerry Hirshberg, founder and president of Nissan Design International and describes a culture where ideas are productively challenged. A concept that is all too often seen as dangerous by managers and naturally so.” Mar 24, 2015
In my mind, the point that you need to take away from this is that when approached in the right way and often with the benefit of hindsight, conflict is actually an opportunity to grow. If we don’t step out of our comfort zones, we don’t learn and if we don’t learn, we don’t grow. Use conflict to learn and grow and by seeing it as a positive force, you will find that you are happy at work. (Don’t let me have you believe that it makes it any less comfortable though – that is the whole point of learning and growing. Think about the last time you learned to do something. Play golf. Drive a car. Use an iPad. On each of those occasions you would have been “uncomfortable” and it is through this discomfort that you learned something new)!
Exercise Regularly
We all know it, but we’re not all good at doing it! I personally need to make much more of an effort on this front. Do you?
It’s not rocket science. I fit and healthy body lead to a clear and active mind. We are all bombarded on a daily basis with adverts around out health and yet when we’re not feeling good about things, the idea of exercising can be (figuratively) a monstrous mountain to climb. There is no doubt that you’ll fee better by being active and you’re far more likely to be able to smile when you’re feeling good about yourself.
Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
One of the best ways to bring yourself down a notch or three is to start comparing yourself to others: “Blogs has the corner office overlooking the harbour bridge, whilst my crummy little office is dark & dingy” or “Joe’s new top of the range Mercedes Benz is so much shinier than my 12 month old Commodore”.
What so often gets missed here is the fact that (in the egs above): you HAVE an office and that you HAVE a car (that is only 12 months old incidentally). It might not be the corner office or a Mercedes Benz, but hey – what a great problem to have! In real terms, if this is as bad as it’s going to get then celebrate your wins because there are people out there that are unemployed; sick; broke; depressed; going through tough times etc; etc. So by comparison, you are one of the lucky ones. Take the time to reflect on this and don’t think about what you DON’T have, but rather what you DO have. And be grateful – it will completely change your outlook on life and the world in general.
Regularly Ask Yourself, “How Much of This Do I Own?”
All too often “we” get caught up in “stuff” that really doesn’t have anything to do with us, thereby burning emotional energy that could (and should) have been diverted to something far more productive!
Pause. Stop. And ask yourself just how much of this particular problem you actually own. If the answer is nothing (or very little), move on and put your energies in to something that will return you greater results that you can celebrate on completion (see next point).
Reward Yourself
Who doesn’t love a reward? It doesn’t matter if it’s a glass of wine; a trip to the movies or a family holiday. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. Just make sure that you schedule in a reward relative to the completed task/result and where you can, celebrate it with others. Somehow life tastes so much sweeter when you have someone to share it with.
Listen To Your Instincts
This is a BIGGIE! If your ‘gut’ is telling you that you’re not happy and that you need to get out, then you need to get outta there!!! I realise that I am making a very difficult decision sound easy and when there are mouths to feed and bills to pay, it often comes down to finding that next job before you can move on. So the important part is not actually the moving on, but the DECISION to move on! Once you’ve realised that there is a mismatch and that you’re not happy, the worst thing that you can do is hang around making yourself and more often than not, everyone else, unhappy!
This blog is probably a little more “airy-fairy” than my usual stuff, but it’s funny how often I hear people say how unhappy they are in their current roles and how they just don’t know what to do about it. The toughest part is making a decision and taking control of the situation.
Hopefully the above points will help you think through some of your current dilemmas. And for those of you that are happy, hopefully you’ll recognise some of the things that you’re doing that make you feel good. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts and comments and if there’s something in particular that really works for you, please leave a comment below.
And remember: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao-tzu. Pick ONE or TWO of the most relevant ideas above, those that really resonate with your values and beliefs. And then focus on making them a reality. From there, you can start working on some of the other suggestions.
Best of luck and if you’re finding work and life a bit of a challenge, I urge you to reach out to someone to ask for help or guidance.
And whether you’re leaving because of a ‘bigger & better’ opportunity; because your current employer is an absolute b#@$t!@d or because you’re just not content – you need to make sure that you exit in the right manner.
Tendering your resignation is a daunting process. The stress that it brings on is up there with getting married, buying a house and moving according to some studies from around the world. Whilst the temptation might be there to tell your current employer precisely where to stick that resignation letter, I urge you to think better of it, no matter how rude/difficult/inconsiderate/abusive/etc they may be. Not that I’m condoning any of the above, but as my Mum always used to say to me, “two wrongs don’t make a right”, so it’s up to you to be the bigger person and rise above the temptation to retaliate or mouth-off. It’s paramount to you and your future career that you remain level-headed, because you never know when you may bump in to the person again and, particularly if you’re staying in the same industry, you never know when you might need “friends” (think reference/referee). Not to mention, in our industry, there is every chance that you will see them at a conference, function or meeting!
With the above in mind, here’s some further advice to assist you through the process:
1. Plan. Plan.. And PLAN…!
Get your contract out (or the Award if you don’t have a contract) and make sure you know what your obligations are – what’s the notice period you have to give; are there any restrictions on where you can work next (competition); when is your bonus due; what are your leave entitlements; etc? If there is a specific date/deadline that you need to hit (for a new role), make sure that you know what it is and make this your end goal – ie. what you HAVE to achieve when you hand in your notice and verbalise your intentions to your manager.
Make sure you know who it is that you should be handing your resignation in to (your line manager or his/her manager or the GM/CEO). Also think about your timing and plan for what will get YOU the best result. Sometimes, due to deadlines, you can’t afford to be picky about the “when”, but in general try to do it when the person that you are going to see is going to be the most responsive, ie. not in a bad mood; not rushing to another meeting; not under the pump; not leaving to go home; not on annual leave; etc. I guess ultimately, regardless of how you feel about the person/organisation, try your best to put yourself in the position of the person that will be receiving the news (and the pressure that that may bring) and treat them as you would like to be treated – being considerate goes a long, LONG way!
And plan for point 4 below – the OUTCOME of your resignation…
2 Document Your Resignation in Writing (but deliver it in person)
Your written resignation should be short and sweet. No ‘War & Peace’ ramblings required here as the important detail gets lost! Keep it simple:
Address the letter properly & appropriately
Lay it out properly and DO NOT forget to date it with the correct date as this becomes the date that your resignation is effective from.
(Having checked your notice period obligations) Inform your employer of the date that your notice period is effective from (today’s date), the period it is for (eg. 4 weeks) and what the date is that you are terminating your employment on (ie. the date 4 weeks from today)
Thank them (in one or two lines at the most). Ideally, this shouldn’t be too difficult. You might like to thank them for their support, guidance and nurturing of you throughout your tenure. Or you might like to say thank you for the development or promotional opportunities. Whatever it is though, be sincere and if you haven’t got anything good to say – say NOTHING.
And remember: LESS is sometimes MORE as the last thing you want to do is provide ‘fodder’ for your employer to come back and bash you with (figuratively speaking of course)!
If time permits, don’t tender your letter straight away. Sit on it for a day or two (change the date accordingly) and make sure you go over the pros and cons of your current role and future opportunity. Not to say that you can’t go back once you’ve tendered your resignation, but most of the employers that I know tend to take the view of “if you’ve decided to leave, I’m not going to try to change your mind” (in a positive way as opposed to a narky kind of a way)!
3 Personal delivery
When the time comes, have the fortitude, strength of character and decency to resign in person! It comes down to respect and in most cases, other than the extreme ones, your employer deserves a bit of respect. And even if they don’t, be the bigger person and show them how it should be done by holding your head high and resigning with dignity and professionalism. If you do have any feedback, the time to do it is in person (verbally, not in writing remember) and ALWAYS make sure that you do it constructively and in a positive manner. Hand your letter to the appropriate person, explaining what it is. NOTE: from this point, your resignation date is locked in as this is the date that you have tendered your resignation.
If you believe that it is going to be an unpleasant meeting – prepare yourself mentally for this and if appropriate to do so, you may choose to tender your resignation with another person present (or at least nearby), such as your employer’s Personal Assistant or maybe even your line manager. And whatever you do, make sure that you stay calm, collected, polite and professional, no matter what is said to you (I’m not suggesting for a moment that this will be easy, but stay strong and committed to being the better person)!
4 Be Prepared for the Outcome
This forms part of your planning phase also – so make sure you give this plenty of thought. Plan how you think your employer is going to react and what actions they might take and make sure that you’re prepared. Think back to when other people have resigned or have been asked to leave, how did that go down and how did your employer behave? Give very real consideration to the fact that you might well be asked to clean out your office and leave on the spot, having been locked out of your computer (and any other digital links to the organisation – eg. phone/tablet/intranet) before you even leave your manager’s office!
Whatever the situation, remain calm and professional and try to take it in your stride, without letting your guard down as you need to remain alert to your rights and the employer’s legal obligations – like pay in lieu of notice or bonus cheques that are owed to you as a couple of examples.
5 Tidy Up Loose Ends
As suggested above, this isn’t always possible – but when it is, leave on a high! Make sure you’ve cleaned up your desk, office and computer so that it’s ready for the next person and try to finish off any projects or at least leave them at a stage where someone else can pick them up and run with them. You might even like to leave some basic instructions and/or information for anyone that might need them, like logins to things that need to be kept going, even in your absence. And don’t forget to inform the right departments (when it’s your job to do so), so that the business can prepare for your departure.
Oh! And if you have a uniform (and other company property – such as keys; phones; car; etc), either bring it back dry-cleaned and pressed, ideally on your last day (if you can get away with coming in to work in your own business attire) or within a few days of your departure. Remember: the organisation might be permitted to withhold your final payment until such time as ‘everything’ is returned, so get it back promptly.
6 Your Reputation is Your Greatest Asset! Don’t BURN BRIDGES!
Often, your reputation is all that you can trade on – so make sure it remains a GOOD one! Don’t denigrate the management or organisation and do your utmost to maintain your output/efficiency throughout your notice period. Leave on a HIGH and make sure the departing impression of you is not one of a whinging, lazy, good-for-nothing bum, who slackened off in their last few weeks and did nothing but bag the organisation and belittle their manager!
As suggested above, you never, ever know when you might bump in to this person again and if you’ve read my previous blog “Negotiating Your Salary“, you may remember the employee that I had, that went on a rant as they stormed out of my office only to one day, much later on, be applying for a job in a business that I was managing. Our industry is particularly small and it’s not uncommon for “someone” to know “someone” that knows YOU! With this in mind, it is so important to keep your reputation in tact and not to burn any bridges.
Hopefully the points above will help you navigate through the stressful process of resigning. It’s also worth mentioning that, where possible (ie. when you’re leaving a ‘good’ employer), it’s a good idea to leave the door ajar. What I mean by this is: don’t cut all ties on the spot just because you are going. Make a genuine offer to be contactable should the employer need to ask a question or let them know that you have left instructions for the next person, but they are welcome to call/email you if they require any further clarification. Leaving on a good note leads to a greater chance of being remembered in a good light and therefore being referenced positively should anyone call about you or in conversations around a table (think at conferences, meetings, seminars, networking events where your “new” or “future” employers are also mixing)!
It’s probably pretty reasonable to say that the vast majority, (I’d suggest 99.9%) of candidates know that they are going to be asked at some point in an interview if they have any questions for the interviewer. And yet candidates often fumble their words and struggle to present themselves in a positive way.
The questions that you ask provide the interviewer with a great insight in to you, and so asking the right sorts of questions can catapult you to the top of the “to be employed” list! Whilst poorly thought out questions and questions made up on the spot can very quickly highlight some of your deficiencies and push your application down in to the quagmire of mediocrity…….or worse.
Some of the best questions that you can ask tend to be those that have been very carefully planned and learned, but then evolve through information that comes to light during the interview. What I mean by this is – there is no substitute for doing the research and preparation, but don’t be afraid to “tweak” one or two (or more) of the questions that you have prepared to include facts and information that you have gathered throughout the interview as it shows that you have been listening. Often, your question can remain exactly the same, it will just be the lead-in that changes. For example:
(Planned Question): “What is the organisational structure of the Food & Beverage department? (and maybe something about FT vs Part Time…)“, might become:
(Tweaked Question): “You mentioned that there are 120 staff in the F&B department. What is the organisational structure of the department and what sort of breakdown is there between Full Time, Part Time and Casual employees?”
Oh! And if it helps, don’t be afraid to take a notepad and pen or an iPad/Tablet in to the interview so that you can jot down notes (like the number of staff in the F&B department) as you go. As a side-note, it is polite to ask the interviewer(s) if they mind if you take some notes during the course of the interview and sometimes, the jotting down of notes can actually buy you that valuable 4 or 5 seconds to contemplate an answer before you open your mouth (as you jot things down, generally people will wait politely for you to answer)…
For questions to really work, it comes down to RESEARCH! And with the internet at your fingertips, there are no excuses for not being able to gather enough information to ask intelligent and pertinent questions. To help you with the process, I have listed below a range of the sorts of questions that you could ask in an interview and with a little bit of thought and some manipulation of the details, they’ll provide you with a good foundation for the next time you are sitting across the table from an interviewer:
Ask specific questions about the venue/organisation and what your role would be there:
– What’s their vision for your position?
– In your opinion, what would make me a success in this role?
– Will the role evolve over time?
– What are the top 2 or 3 priorities that you believe would need to be addressed first? (Let them tell you and finish telling you, then you might like to sum up briefly your ability to address those priorities) NOTE: In my experience, candidates often jump the gun in this circumstance. They do the right thing and ask a good question like this, but rather than stop and wait for the WHOLE answer, they let their nerves get the better of them and jump on in with the “HOW” they can solve the problem or how they have the experience to do the job. This means that they a) assume the remainder of the answer (it’s never good to assume), b) miss gathering further information (could be useful later on in the interview) and c) don’t show how they can listen (this can send completely the wrong message, when in fact, it’s just because they’re nervous)!
– If legislation has recently affected the industry or if there’s something pertinent in the news, try to tie this knowledge in to a question as it will show that you have done your homework!
What systems do they have in place?
– Are they adequate? Or do they need updating?
– If they are inadequate, would it be your job to change or develop them?
Who was in this job before?
– Why did they leave?
– Will I be doing the same job as them, or has the role changed/evolved?
What is the company’s management style?
How do you measure performance and how often is it reviewed?
Do you provide any sort of professional development or training?
What is your target market?
– Is this something that you would like to expand? If so, what are you plans for doing so?
What is the company’s policy on corporate social responsibility?
In what ways is your company involved in the local community? (In our industry, there is generally plenty of information about this, so you might want to tailor this with something like: “I see from your Facebook Page that you are connected with the <so-and-so charity>. It what other ways are you involved in the local community?”).
It’s worth remembering, that to be amazing at an interview, you actually have to GET an interview and this begins with your application! Make sure you develop a fantastic resume and that you get it in promptly via the means that they request. And keep in mind that your research should start before you even send your resume in so that you can tailor your resume to the advert, the organisation and the role. You should then pick up your research once again when you progress to the next stage and expand it so that it is fresh in your memory for when you get to the interview. Oh. And if you don’t get offered an interview, try calling to find out why (again, PLAN your questions) and see if you can gather any advice on how to improve your resume for the next time! (Don’t forget to read my previous blog “To Call or Not To Call, That is the Question”, & if you haven’t already done so – you can click here.
When you do get offered the opportunity to attend an interview, think about the importance of making a GREAT first impression! The interview starts the moment you step foot through the door in to the organisation and ramps up the moment you walk in to the interview room. Dress. Grooming. Body Language. Preparation. Don’t underestimate the value of caring enough to make an effort – it goes an awfully LONG way!
Something that is all too often forgotten or done with no real thought other than because you’d heard it was the right thing to do is to follow up after an interview with a “thank you”. There are lots of ways that you can do this with modern forms of communication – choosing the right one is the tough part. In some (rare?) circumstances, an SMS to the interviewer is appropriate, but choose when and what you’re going to say and think carefully about whether an SMS really is the best way to go! For example, if you know they are about to walk straight in to another interview, wait until later to send your SMS and try to choose a time when you know/think they’ll be able to receive it without the embarrassment of their phone beeping/vibrating in another interview! Note: I would only use SMS if the interviewer has been communicating with you via SMS, if they haven’t, then an email, phone call or even a well chosen ‘thank you’ card might be the better option. Long story-short, don’t let your interview be the last time they hear from you! Follow up to assist them to remember who you are and try to remind them of one of the positive aspects/events that occurred in the interview.
Similarly to following up if you don’t get an interview, don’t forget to follow up if you don’t get offered the job and find out why so that you can use this information for your next interview.
And most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, you can do everything right and still not be offered the job – so stay positive and upbeat as it’ll show the next time you speak to someone about a job. And always remember – there is a great job waiting for you out ‘there’! So keep honing your interview skills (which can be learned & improved) and stay focused.
Whether being done for a small family business, a large multinational or as a Recruitment Consultant – the “recruitment process” provides an insight in to the human psyche. And let me just tell you, it’s not always a pretty sight!
As a “glass half-full” kind-a-guy, I’d prefer not to err on the negative, unless there is something to be gained from this insight and so in this blog I thought that there would be significant value in sharing a couple of stories, thoughts and observations about what “we” see as recruiters in a niche market.
First and foremost, let me state from the outset that for the vast majority of roles that are recruited, there is only ever going to be the ONE position available. Obvious right? Stick with me here, because whilst this should be obvious, it would seem that there are candidates out there that forget this fact and the other closely associated fact that if there is only ONE position available and say 100 people apply, chances are that NINETY NINE of them are going to be disappointed. It’s basic maths and yet it doesn’t stop candidates from being rude and at times, even abusive about the fact that they didn’t get the job even though (in their not-so-humble opinion), they were the best person for the job.
This leads me on to my next comment: how can you know if you are the ‘best person for the job’ when you don’t even know who else has applied OR what the employer is actually looking for? You’re well within your rights to believe that you’re a strong candidate because you have the necessary skills, experience and traits BUT the point is that – YOU will NEVER know EXACTLY what an employer is looking for. So rather than “assume” that you’re the best person for the role, invest the time in your application to make sure that you have the best possible opportunity of getting the chance for a face-to-face interview. Then, blow them out of the water at that interview and you might just convince them that you’re what they are looking for !
I mentioned above the competition (other candidates) and this is another point that unsuccessful candidates so often miss. Faith and confidence in yourself is a much needed trait to be successful in the job market, but a misguided belief that your “Sh#t don’t stink” is likely to leave an impression of arrogance and prima donna tendencies. Neither of which are an attractive proposition for a potential employer. Remember, you may well be a great candidate, but there is always someone out there that is “better” than you. Not a better person or even a better employee, but possibly just a better FIT. Whilst I’m on the subject of “fit”, just quickly – always remember that a good fit goes both ways. It has to be right for the employer AND the employee, so sometimes you’re better off missing out on a job if the fit isn’t right – it might just be a blessing in disguise! To put the concept of competition in perspective, I recently recruited for a senior business leader role that attracted almost 70 applications. Of the 70, there were 25 that could have done the job (admittedly to varying degrees, but they could still have “done” the job). That’s over ONE THIRD of the candidates that applied, that by rights, could/should have been in consideration for the role!
This is where process comes in to play. As a Recruitment Consultant, I am adamant about the fact that it is not my job to decide WHO a business chooses to employ. Ultimately, my client is the one that will have to work with the successful candidate and not me, so later decisions are completely up to the employer (or their nominated representative(s)). My (our) job is to make sure that we work closely with the employer (our client) and have open lines of communication (for more info on the importance of the employer-recruiter relationship see previous blog: http://blog.whitenow.com.au/2015/05/01/how-to-recruit-a-recruiter/) so that we are able to clearly identify all aspects of the ideal candidate-type in the hope that we can present our client with a range of candidates for consideration that match their requirements as closely as possible. Obviously a lot of this is dependent on their ability to articulate what it is that they are looking for and our skills at drawing out this information and sometimes the tough conversations need to be had so that there aren’t any “elephants in the room”. To achieve this, we run a tried and tested methodology that is linked to years of experience and because it is not an exact science, we then sprinkle all this with the tiniest pinch of fairy dust in the hope that it will bring us that magical candidate that fits in to our client’s organisation like a hand in to an old glove. Coming back to my point specifically in relation to the role where 70 applied and 25 could do the job – as one of those 70 candidates, “YOU” would have NO IDEA what the level of competition is like both from a ‘cold-hard-facts’ perspective (the other candidates’ credentials) nor the ‘intangibles’ perspective (the competition’s alignment to the spoken [and sometimes unspoken] criteria as set out by the employer). Surely then it is overly presumptuous to expect that you will automatically be on the short list and probably the preferred candidate for the role.
So, now that we are all a little more aware of some of the obvious, but often unconsidered facts of recruitment, why did I title this blog “It’s How We Lose That Shows Who We Are!”? Simple: the candidates that stick in my mind for all of the right reasons are those that are humble in defeat. Those that thank me for my time and effort and make comment of their understanding of how tough the market it is and how difficult the decision must have been. Then there are those that remain in my mind for all of the wrong reasons and rather than list some of the negative comments, behaviours and language here, I will simply say that their responses perhaps show their true colours when they’ve been knocked down.
Why?
Well because in business, particularly at a senior management level, it is unlikely that things are always going to be rosie! There are going to be challenges and adversity and so if it comes to my integrity versus the integrity of someone that cannot be gracious in defeat and I am asked “can you recommend this person”, I am left with the easy decision to tell my client “No. No I can’t recommend this person because I don’t believe that they would be good for your business or your culture”.
“ANYONE CAN BE A GRACIOUS WINNER BUT BEING GRACIOUS AFTER LOSING SHOWS STRENGTH OF CHARACTER” – Donald Lynn Frost
Was it your Mother or Grandmother that used to say?:
“Never say never!”?
Well now it’s White Now saying it!
Here are some words that I suggest should (dare I say?), NEVER be used in a professional resume and some of my reasoning as to why:
“Various”…
As an adjective, “various” really is a bit of a nothing! It doesn’t add any oomph or pizazz to a resume! “I worked on various projects” or “I’m conversant in various software programs”. It really doesn’t mean much at all. In fact, I invariably make various noises out-loud when I read the word various on various resumes!
The next time you’re thinking of using the word “various”, ask yourself this: ‘What’s the difference between:
– Worked on various projects, AND
– Worked on projects?”. If you reach the same conclusion that I did, “various” will soon be in your deleted items folder!
Thinking the above through a bit further, what’s preferable is that you SPECIFY the projects that you worked on. Reading the above doesn’t really tell the reader anything about you at all, but if you said that you had work on projects that have included (for eg): a $4.5m refurbishment; the acquisition of 3 other licensed premises and the development of a 10 year, 4-phase business plan that is currently in its second phase; then the details are far more impressive than having done some various projects.
“Visionary”…(or “Transformational”)…
It’s funny how some words seem to be so very “in” and visionary is one of those in-words that has stuck around for a while now. What does it actually mean to be “visionary”? More importantly, how do you PROVE that you’re “visionary” in whatever it is that you do?
Personally I’d much rather see something in a resume about how you can demonstrate that you have developed a plan (a vision), articulated it to your team and delivered it to the stakeholders…….which resulted in blah, blah blah (Insert: $XXm increase in turnover/savings; % greater visitation rates; reduction in injuries; improved brand recognition; etc; etc).
“Expert”…
This is another one of “those” words. You know, the one that sounds great in theory, but in reality makes you sound like a bit of a tosser as it makes the claim that you’re ‘brilliant’ in a particular area. In fact, you’re so good in that area that you’re an EXPERT. And yet when the resume-reader digs further there is absolutely no supporting evidence.
Doctors that possess a doctorate in a particular field have a right to declare themselves an ‘expert’ in their specific area of expertise, but unless you’re a Doctor of something, I would argue that it is immensely difficult to prove that you’re an expert in anything, except maybe being a little bit full of yourself.
“Seasoned”…
As a bit of a foodie, my first impression when I read this in a resume is that you mean that you have been salted and peppered to perfection. Once I get that somewhat disconcerting thought out of my head, I tend to wonder what a “seasoned” anything might look like other than possibly……old? Is this the image that you want to portray? If so, why not just say that you’re old or maybe, to put that in a more positive light, talk about your ACHIEVEMENTS that you can demonstrate throughout your career and let the reader draw the conclusion about whether you’re old and ready to be put out to pasture or experienced with the necessary skills and, more importantly, demonstrated track record that the reader just has to get you in for an interview to speak to about the job?
“Results Oriented”…
This one always makes me smile as people all too often talk about being “results oriented” and yet at no point in their resume (or often cover letter as well), do they provide SPECIFIC DETAILS of the results that they have achieved.
Achievements have to be QUANTIFIABLE and should ideally correlate to the job that you are applying for – let’s face it, employers are generally approaching the recruitment process from the viewpoint of, “what’s in it for me?”. They want to see what you’ve done in your past, how successfully you did it and then they want to picture you doing the same for them! If this happens, you have a far greater chance of being invited to an interview.
Employers also don’t want to have to think too hard about how your achievements align to what it is that they have advertised for – so make it easy for them! Use the words that they have used in their adverts and edit your resume to respond to the main points that they are looking for. And most importantly, make sure that you can back these up if and when you get invited to an interview.
Finally, remember: your achievements are what separate you from the resumes that the reader reads before yours and all those that s/he is going to read after. One GM does pretty much the same as another GM, as does one Cleaner from another. What makes one GM/Cleaner/DM/CFO/Marketing Manager/<insert role title here> different from another is what they ACHIEVEDwhilst they were in that role.
“Very”…
Surely there is an adjective that you can find to go in front of whatever word it is that you want to emphasise that is going to give you more impact than “very”? Just about anything would be very much better than “very”!
“It was a very successful financial year” OR “the success of FY14/15 can be measured by the following exceptional results: Revenue +$6.2m. Expenses -21%. EBITDA +19% and an overall nett profit of $7.6 million”. You choose…
“Synergy”…
This was a buzz word about 8 to 10 years ago and at the time, was fresh, current and when used appropriately, even clever! However nowadays it has been overused to the point where it has lost its impact – “responsible for the synergy of the department”; “developed a synergistic work environment” and “amalgamated two venues due to their synergy, resulting in a win/win for all parties”. And incidentally, “win/win” is a bit (a lot) cliched nowadays too!
“Out of the Box”… (or “Creative”)…
If you were genuinely “Out of the box”, you’d have thought of something a little more “out of the box” to write down. ‘Nuff said!
Here are some other words to avoid:
Love – “I would just love to work in an organisation…blah, blah, blah”. And I’d LOVE to be in the Bahamas doing anything other than reading resumes. But I’m not, so let’s stop the lovin’ and focus on the facts and achievements. Capisce?
Great Communication Skills – says who? YOU? Prove it!!!
Try – as the great Jedi Master, Yoda so famously said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try”…
Detail Oriented – I once had a recruiter say to me about these words on my resume, “You know what this means don’t you? That I am going to look for errors and won’t necessarily concentrate on the content as much as I should?”…
Skillful… Capable… Innovative… Experienced… Team Player… References Available on Request… Creative… Highly Motivated… Capable… Skillful… Pro-active… Salary Negotiable…
Hopefully the above has given you some food for thought and possibly even put a little smirk on your face. Ultimately there are no specific ‘right and wrongs’ when it comes to the use of the above words and others like them. There is however, in most cases, a better way for the sentence to be structured for greater impact (you know, for more “Ah!” moments rather than “ARGGHHHHH” ones)!
Best of luck with the writing of your resume and please remember – if you would like us to have a look over yours, please give us a call at the office on 02 9807 1806 to discuss how we can assist.
The ‘age old’ question and one that ultimately comes down to personal choice! But summing it all up in the first line hardly makes for a good blog read, so here are some considerations around the question:
“Should work & leave be combined?”
1. What is the purpose of your leave?
This may sound silly, but are you going to take some time off because you’re due at a conference in the Bahamas and thought that you would tie in a bit of RnR? Or are you stressed out at work and looking to take a break so that you can remember what your husband/wife and kids look like? If it’s the latter – then the answer is pretty self-explanatory: Go on leave and LEAVE work at work! Ideally you should be looking to unplug your computer, email and phone completely so that you can fully recharge. And remember this: whilst we all like to think that the world will come to a crashing halt without us sitting at our desk, the reality is that for a week or two (and probably a lot more), nobody will miss you and the world will keep on turning! It’s also worth noting that you are far more likely to be more productive and more pleasant to be around once you’ve had a chance to fully recharge!
2. Is it your business or are you working for someone else?
I guess this really comes down to expectations, but if it’s your business it is that much harder to get downtime and often it is extremely difficult to switch off everything unless you are fortunate enough to have someone back in the “office” to hold the fort. That said, even business owners need a chance to unplug, unwind and recharge so it makes sense to take some proper “TIME OUT”. If it is your own business, there are often tax and cost savings by being able to include part of the travel and accommodation on the company bill rather than your own personal bill, but in the long run – if it’s your company, it’s your money anyhow! So you really need to weigh up what is going to give you the biggest bang for your bucks – saving a few dollars or recharging your batteries? The call is yours…
As for employees – it is important to remember that you are entitled to time off and you are under no obligation to tie your personal life in to your professional life. That said, as with all relationships – a bit of ‘give and take’ goes a long way and if a combined work/leave trip works for you (and your family) financially and it provides your employer with the result that they require, then everyone is happy. Just remember though – generally the purpose of a HOLIDAY is just that – to have a HOLIDAY and that you taking time off to recharge and get away from the daily grind of work will more often than not, give you the energy, enthusiasm and clarity to come back to your job and kick some goals. So don’t be afraid to (politely) tell your employer that you are unable to combine work and leave if you feel that you need a break.
3. How does your family feel about you working whilst you’re away with them?
This is a tough one because we all too often lie to ourselves saying, “it’ll be ok, I’ve only got a couple of hours worth of work to do”, only to still be doing that work at 5pm that afternoon having started before breakfast and having missed lunch! We also tend to say to our peers and bosses that our family doesn’t mind us working, knowing full well that they are completely and utterly over our extra workload. If this is the case, then the reality of the matter is that for the sake of your sanity, your marriage, your family – make an effort to SEPARATE your work and leave commitments. Make the time to spend quality time (ie. being present in the moment) with those that you go on holiday with, because whilst the majority of us need a job to feed us, ALL of us need people around us – particular our family and particularly once we give up work! You’re a long time dead, so why not make the most of being alive?
4. Is the opportunity worth it?
What I mean by this is – if the offer to travel to exotic and interesting locations, paid for by your employer is something that you would otherwise never be able to do, then you’d be mad to miss the opportunity as traveling is a great way to open your mind, change your beliefs and grow your knowledge (not to mention, become more understanding of other races and cultures) – all of which will serve you well in your career. Work-travel may also assist you with promotions and career development, so again the opportunity to grow in your role, earn more money or network in other markets has to be weighed up and there are no standard “right” or “wrongs” – you have to do what is best for you (and those around you) at the time and based on the information that you have at hand. If career, work and income is the driving force at the time, then your decision will be based on that. If family, relaxation and recharging is of more importance (at the time), then a holiday completely away from work is what’s in order. Often it is just that – “time based” and other times it’s based on your motivations (which incidentally often change with time too)!
So I conclude as I began. Ultimately it comes down to personal choice and circumstance! Your decisions are just that – YOUR decisions. Just make sure that you are making them with your eyes wide open!
When White Now placed an advert on www.whitenow.com.au and SEEK on behalf of a client looking for an Office Assistant 3 days per week, the client received 345 applications! The good news was that there was a large percentage of high calibre candidates which made the job of choosing a short list really tough, but ultimately led to a great result because it was such a strong field.
So why was this such a popular job? Well, this client recognised that whilst work is an important part of life, people have other commitments and interests that are equally important and if all these things can be accommodated or balanced, they are going to have happy, committed employees!
Lots of employees enjoy working and WANT to work, but also have family commitments or interests they want to pursue. There is a HUGE market of ‘return to work’ Mums and Dads, semi-retirees, part time students etc that have valuable skills and experience, often at a much higher level, who still want to contribute to a workplace that they can enjoy and add value to. Just not necessarily in a full time or 9am-5pm capacity.
How can you tap into this great resource? Take a look at the roles that you have and think a bit ‘outside the square’ about the way work is done and how you can build flexibility into your workplace. Offer school hours or the flexibility to take time out during the day to attend school activities and make the time up later. Can work be done remotely (from home) on some or all days, or after hours? Ask an employee ‘how can we make this work for you?’ and negotiate a mutually suitable arrangement. And don’t forget to ask yourself, “is job-sharing an option?”
Offering a flexible workplace can often open up the the job to a larger pool of higher calibre employees to chose from. And often these employees come with a high level of commitment and and work performance because they have a great work/life balance. Flexibility in the workplace can also be a great retention tool. Offering your existing employees more flexibility maybe one reason that will keep them working for your organisation rather than them looking elsewhere.
Next time a vacancy comes up, take a different look at it: how can you incorporate more flexibility and attract a whole new candidate pool?
