Tag Archives: business

Business Brands, Customer Service, Food, Uncategorized

The Butcher Who Mustn’t Like Money

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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"
“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 !

Life Experiences, Recruiting Tips, Uncategorized, Work & Life

Resigning The RIGHT Way…

It’s a BIG decision, resigning.

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)!

Good luck!

Life Experiences, Recruiting Tips, Uncategorized, Values, Work & Life

Interview Question: Do you have any questions for me?

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.

Life Experiences, Recruiting Tips, Work & Life

To Call, Or Not To Call – That Is The Question

Here at White Now! we receive LOTS of calls from candidates about roles that we have advertised and it got me to thinking…

“…Which calls do I remember?”.

The answer was simple.  Not too many!  I’d be the first to admit that my memory isn’t what it used to be, but I’m not quite ready to be shipped off to “a home” quite yet, so it got me to thinking about why I only remember a very select few calls and what is is about those calls that stick out.

Here’s a list of things in no particular order that come to mind about the calls that are worth remembering and those that fade in to the background.

1. The call has purpose and is not just being made for the sake of being made.
– “Hi, I just called to make sure that you received my application” needs to lead somewhere other than “oh and what’s the salary?”.  We all recognise that as much as the message that the world would like us all to hear is “it’s not about the money”, Jerry Maguire had it right when he said, “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!”, only that’s probably not quite the message that you want an employer or recruiter to walk away with.  So, rather than making a call to check whether cyberspace has decided to randomly pick your electronic application to be THE one that doesn’t make it through, PLAN your conversation prior to making it and have a number of points that you want to discuss that happens to include (at the right moment), a question about the remuneration.
– Asking the “$$$ question” is always a difficult one, but it’s one that you need to get used to asking.  Try to tie it in to your planned conversation and be prepared for the question to get turned back on to you – “I’m going to turn that question back on to you, what do you feel the role is worth in your opinion and I’ll let you know if you’re in the right ball park”.  Be ready for this as it’s a great way for the person at the other end of the phone to establish if you have any idea at all about the size and importance of the role and where it fits in to the hierarchy of the organisation, not to mention if you are appropriate.  This sounds a bit harsh, but if you’re looking for a job that pays $200,000+ and you’re applying for a middle management role that is paying in the $65-70,000 range, there is a MASSIVE mismatch before we even get to the point of interviewing…

2. Do some research PRIOR to making a call and map out what it is that you want to tell the person on the other end.  Ideally they are going to want to know:
– Your name (state it clearly and if you’ve got an unusual/confusing name, maybe even spell it for them)
– The state of your application:  “I have just applied” / “I applied yesterday/last week” / “I’m about to apply”
– Which role you’re applying for and ideally include a reference number if there is one
– A VERY BRIEF overview of your relevant experience & why you’ve applied for the role.  This is actually a LOT tougher than it sounds, because standing out from the crowd is tough when all you’re doing is reciting your job roles.  Try to make it interesting and more of a conversation than a presentation!  And try to include words and phrases that aren’t cliched, but that show how articulate and capable you are.
– Use intonation as there is nothing worse than a monotone voice at the other end of a phone conversation.  And speak from the heart as passion and drive will shine through over facts and figures during a verbal meeting.

3.  PLAN two or three main points that you want to get across that you want the employer/recruiter to take away with them and if you can subtly recap them towards the end of your conversation, then do so.  But try not to make it sound like it’s ‘revision’.

4.  Ask well thought out questions that show that you have done some research and that you have thought about what you really want to know.  Good questions will tell the employer / recruiter a lot about you – so put your best foot forward by phrasing questions that show that you’ve done some research.
– Some adverts contain a LOT of information and others don’t!  So remember, we live in the age of high-speed internet and ‘Google is your best friend’.  Type in some queries and see what you can find – there might be financials, YouTube videos, news articles, media releases and goodness knows what else out there.  So let your fingers do the typing and start doing some research EARLY as it will all come in useful if and when you get through to the next stage.

5.  Know when to STOP!  Sometime less, is more!  We’ve all heard it said, but often when we’re nervous or don’t have a plan in our heads, we end up prattling on and on and on, only to discover that we’ve lost our way and the whole point of the conversation.  Make your point, move on to the next or shut up!  It really is as simple as that.

6.  Finishing up:  make sure you thank the person for their time and try to finish up with something along the lines of, “Thank you for sharing your thoughts and providing me with all of that information.  This sounds like a great role and one that I am ideally suited for, so you will see an application from me, <Your Name>, in your inbox by close of business today”.

7.  When you send your application through, don’t forget to address the cover letter to whomever it is that you have been told to address it to in the advert (and if you haven’t been given a contact, jump on to the company’s website and find out the name of the President/HR Manager/General Manager/most appropriate person and address it to them) and then address the email to whomever it is that you spoke to.  What I mean by this is that if you addressed your cover letter to John Doe, General Manager of ABC Leagues Club, but you spoke to Sarah Sitizen (intentional type) at the Recruitment Company, then address the EMAIL to her and thank her for her time on the phone earlier today / yesterday / last week and mention that ‘as per your conversation, you are forwarding your application’.

To wrap things up, there’s a time and a place to make a phone call and when done correctly, it can make your application stick out before it has even arrived – you then just need to back up how well you presented over the phone with a solid written application, one that is FULL of achievements and is NOT a long list of tasks…..but I’m now getting on to the subject of another blog, so I’ll leave you with this:  if you’re going to make a phone call about a job, plan it and make it work for you!

GOOD LUCK…

Business Brands

Your Image at Work – Does it Matter?

Poor old (or is that young?) Gen Y, they are in trouble again for not understanding the rules and dress codes for the workplace and taking a too casual approach! Isn’t it okay to wear a t-shirt, Havianas and have the band of your undies showing, when you are meeting clients? Does it affect your ability to the job? Doesn’t Mark Zuckerberg (facebook founder) LIVE in a hoodie? And he’s a Billionaire!

Ettiquette and dress codes have definitely relaxed in recent years. Some of us can remember a dress code at work that included skirts, not pants for women, only black or navy suits for men and NO coloured shirts and women required to wear stockings all year round.

While it is great that some of those rules have relaxed, for many there is still the expectation you will present a certain way at work and after all, first impressions DO count. Plus, many bosses (and customers) are either Baby Boomers or Gen X with a different perception of what is the right dress code for work. Some companies have resorted to hiring Image Consultants to advise staff on the appropriate dress code. This was usually spelt out in the past when you were hired. If your workplace has a uniform much of this dilemma is solved, although ‘policing’ the wearing of the uniform, including name badges and appropriate makeup, hairstyles and jewelry/piercings may still be an issue!

So who is right? Well if the person making the decision about your pay rise, hiring or promotion is from the ‘Baby Boomers or Gen X’ generations, then you probably will need to dress to suit their expectations to get the pay rise, job or promotion, rightly or wrongly. One way to look at it is that the Company ‘pays you to present a certain image’ to the community/clients, so at work you dress the way they expect and leave the ‘self expression’ for your spare time. Another school of thought says ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have’ and that will help you take the next step up.

If image doesn’t matter, why do organisations have uniforms? Qantas and other large corporations even go to the expense of employing Fashion Designers to design their uniforms. Imagine an Airline Steward in hoodie, baggy jeans and thongs giving the safety demonstration, how would you feel – safe, confident, sure they could do their job?

While the way we dress may not effect our ability to do the job (other than in the case of PPE and safety clothing) it can effect others’ perception of our ability and therefore whether or not we are hired, promoted or given the pay rise. So maybe image is worth thinking about.

Business Brands, Social Media, Uncategorized

Many people have their ‘Social Media’ blinkers on. Are they just anxious ?

Social Media can cause some serious anxiety. We know this because at Social Media Now, we’ve had so many debates with Managers, Directors and other decision makers who simply see no benefit at all in using Social Media to assist their business growth. The behaviours they demonstrate span from a mix of anxiety to a lack of understanding right through to a dogmatic denial that social media is in fact a part of the future of business.

So, can Social Media really help your business? You bet! Check out our ‘Embracing Social Media Now’ story in the February 2011 edition of Club Life. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE….. thanks to our team’s fabulous Brand & Imagination Manager, Tania Paccanaro for her wisdom with this …… Call us NOW if you need help with your social media strategy.

SOCIAL MEDIA NOW….. helping you expose YOUR business through Social Media.
Ph: 02 9705 2300 E: info@socialmedianow.com.au W: www.socialmedianow.com.au

Exposing Your Business - SOCIAL MEDIA NOW
Life Experiences, Recruiting Tips, Uncategorized, Values

To Close or NOT to Close – THAT is the Question !

I have had the pleasure of writing job ads as part of my roles for over 20 years now.  Ads for CEO’s of large businesses; ads for Process Workers within Manufacturing companies; ads for bar attendants in overseas hotel properties; ads for administration people in Clubs – you name the positions, I (and my fab team) have written a job ad for it.  Like any skill that you aquire, you spend time tweaking and developing it.  You strive for ways to continually improve on it.  You ask others how they think it can be done better.  You search deep inside for smarter ways and more articulate ways to appeal to the right people.  You make sure that the ads are written with both the business AND the applicants in mind. You keep front of mind that to discriminate in any way is neither appropriate nor in the best interest of any of the stakeholders.  In summary, it is a skill that develops over time – it is a true skill.

Don't Apply - You're Too Late
Don't Apply - You're Too Late

In saying all this, in my 20+ years of writing job ads, I have never felt ‘comfortable’ with putting a closing date on an ad.  I am much more comfortable putting an opening date on the ad or in some way letting the applicant know when the job was listed if possible.

I have had many discusssions with people, including the White Now team about the pros and cons of putting a closing date on an ad. Basically the ‘pros’ that people seem to head towards the employer or recruiter wanting to organise their lists of applicants without the problems that arise when new applicants come in late, and to schedule interviews without any hassle.  

For those who know me, I am the queen of scheduling, organisation and making lists that people always take the mickey out of me for.  For an example, I have a shopping list printed out on A4 paper 52 times (one for each week of the year).  This shopping list is divided into three sections; Supermarket/Fruit and Veg and Butcher. The supermarket list is divided into aisles and if I need an item that week, I actually know what aisle it is in and write it in that section of the list.  This list matches our weekly menu planner that I write on Saturday morning so I don’t buy extra items and don’t have left overs.  Now THAT is an example of how my brain works. Sad but true !

With that in mind you would think that I am in favour of having closing dates on ads to be SUPER organised – well, my behaviour is exactly the opposite.  White Now always recommend AGAINST closing dates on ads  (but of course if our clients want us to put a date down for their own reasons we always respect their decision).

Why am I not in favour of closing dates I hear you ask ? In my opinion, there is no point in ‘closing off applications’ until the very end of the process. By naming a closing date you are basically saying NO to a number of people who actually WANT to work for your organisation.  If I had people WANTING to work for our organisation when I put an ad up, I would happily accept their application at ANY time !

Think about the people that you MAY lose by simply saying – bad luck, you missed MY cut off date.  Remember that it is YOUR cut off date.  You perhaps did not take into account that the ideal person could be on leave, dealing with the death of a friend or relative, caring for a sick child or … who knows what ?  This person, that has not yet had a chance to see your ad MAY just be THE best candidate, MAY just be THE perfect match and MAY just have THE GOODS to take your business further than you could EVER imagine. Surely you would want to interview them or at least include them in a short list !

So, in my opinion, to put a closing date just so that resumes can be sorted and interviews scheduled makes no sense when you may be excluding the best resource for your business ie: the best person.

At White Now, when we are recruiting for a role, the role is open basically until a person is offered the position – in other words, when there is a ‘bum in the seat’.   We know that that is the best service that we can offer our clients – doing ALL that we can to ensure that the best people are able to apply for a job EVEN if they did not see the ad when it first went live.

This opinion is that of mine and White Now only.  Who knows what is right and what is wrong with this topic ? Everyone has their own personal reasons as to why the choose to advertise or not advertise a closing date.  What I DO know though, is that closing off an ad just because the advertiser/recruiter wants to schedule their time to suit THEIR needs, just seems crazy. But who am I to say that – I am the one who has shopping lists divided into sections in order of the aisles in my local supermarket !

Have a fantabulous day  and remember what Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.”

Business Brands, Life Experiences, Values

Tigers are on the prowl – The TRUE champions !

Tigers!
Farewell Balmain Tigers

After 52 years in Rozelle, Balmain Tigers is now officially closed for redevelopment.  The Club has in the mean time, opened two smaller sites at Flemington Markets and Five Dock.  With this closure came the redundancy of 30 or so staff.  It is a tough decision when a Club has to inform its often, long term and loyal staff of their future redundancy.  Some of the staff that had been made redundant had been with Tigers for over 20 years.  Sunday 28th March 2010 was a sad day – the closing of Tigers, mixed with the feeling of a positive future with a new and exciting redevelopment already started. 

White Now were honoured to have been called in to assist with the Outplacement Program for a number of redundant staff.  With this Program was the offer of interview training, resume and career direction training, skills audits and ongoing mentoring.  Our wonderful Toby delivered a fantastic session to a group of soon-to-be redundant staff on preparing a powerful resume and winning at interview.  Through this experience, the White Now team saw a bunch of dedicated, positive and enthusiastic people who looked at their redundancy as a chance to do great things, look at their lives as a whole and actually CREATE their own futures.  There were people who wanted to change direction totally, some wanted to find exactly the same role in another club, others wanted to search overseas for a role and some wanted to follow their dream of working part time.  What WAS refreshing though was that everyone was positive.  It is a credit to each and every person at Tigers for adopting the right attitude and being positive.  Thanks to you all for simply being great !

It was an absolute pleasure for White Now to be involved in the Outplacement and Redeployment of the Tigers team and we wish those CHAMPIONS all the best with the next stage of their lives.  – Think like a champion and you will become a champion !

Life Experiences, Uncategorized

Two ways to find an extra hour a week to bank for later !

Like all good business owners, I’ve been working on our businesses, planning, strategising and generally creating great things for the future. The problem that I kept finding is that there is simply not enough hours in the day ! I think that I have been saying that there is not enough time since I was first able to read a clock ! I then read an inspirational quote that got me thinking;

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. — H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Well that quote just slapped me in the face and shook me up. I knew that I really needed more hours, but of course, 24 is 24 and you can’t just add time to a day, but hey, you can save time, bank it and use it for more useful reasons can’t you ? I went on a journey to try and simplify things in my life that really didn’t add any value to the essence of who I am and certainly were not assisting in achieving any meaningful goals. Everyone has heard about ideas such as only checking your emails once a day – but let’s face it, we run an online business and our White Now customers expect great response times so that strategy is just plain crazy for us. The brain started ticking. I know that the business is pretty efficient so I need to find some time in my personal life. Like all working mums, we spend far too much time on things like ironing, folding washing and the like. So how could I save time here ?

I called on my friend Mr You Tube, you know him, the guy that sucks you into his website and makes you watch ridiculous videos of kids on pushbikes running into walls and video clips of bands that had lead singers that you had a crush on when you were 16. I was this time going to abuse Mr You Tube for my own benefit. I searched on ‘Folding Clothes’ and all of a sudden my prayers were answered. Check out these two videos and you can see how I have gained an hour a week to bank and spend on improving our businesses ! I bet that you will use these technique too and buy yourself an extra hour a week !

ENJOY !

How to fold a T Shirt in 2 Seconds

Peeling Eggs with Speed (OK, I don’t really use this one but it’s pretty funny !)

Business Brands, Life Experiences, Values

Is this a calculated risk ?

2 Comments

Perception !
Recently I have been challenged with a huge decision.  Without having to discuss the ins and outs of the situation, it is a decision that is frought with risk but the risk far outweighs the possible results surrounding not taking the risk.  The dictionary describes calculated risk as “Undertaken after careful estimation of the likely outcome”.    Being a logical person who has a strong aversion to failure (don’t we all), all my decisions are calculated.  This brought me to think about one of my favourite pics going around the traps. 

 Is this fella about to take a calculate risk ? Does he think it is a calculated risk ? Does he see any risk at all ? Does immaturity result in the inability to calculate risk ?  These are all questions that I think about. 

In business, as long as we really estimate the likely outcome(s) then the risk is calculated and the decision to take the risk or not is easier.  Make sure that you look at all of your decisions with the end result in mind !