Maintain the Positive Gains from Your LayOffA recent Wall Street Journal article by Dana Mattioli, When Returning to Work Is Harder Than It Seems, underscored an aspect of re-employment that you don’t hear discussed much. There are many positive, healthy gains that people report from their experiences while laid off.The article's main focus is on laid-off people who bonded or reconnected with their children much more than they could while working the daily grind. Being home to hang out with your kids after school and pursuing hobbies together can be invaluable. Other folks reported having time to spend with friends, working on self-care like losing weight or catching up on sleep and generally finding a good balance in work (the job search) and play.A few years ago, I went from working at home alone to taking a contract job on a work site. I had to be there by 7:20, which meant a wake-up time my body hadn’t done in years. I had to re-learn biz culture; sitting in … [Read more...] about Adjusting to Re-employment Can Be Tough
Small Ways Employers Can Retain Good Employees
It Starts with “Thank You”A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Businesses Mount Efforts to Retain Valued Employees, started me thinking about the topic of gratitude in the workplace. One thing that was particularly interesting in was a study cited in this piece about the discrepancy between what employers think keeps workers happy (“management climate and workers’ relationships with their bosses”) and what employees say (“pay and benefits”).We all know that a “thank you” from a boss can make a worker to feel appreciated. But that doesn’t always mean just a pat on the back for a job well done. Perceptive employers taking a closer look might acknowledge good employees struggling to accomplish tasks/projects with less personnel and resources. How this is conveyed to workers is a key factor, too.The end of my tenure in Corporate World coincided with the rise of the “consultant” - hiring outsiders for obscene … [Read more...] about Small Ways Employers Can Retain Good Employees
Ways to Show Gratitude to Your Employer
“Today, I’m grateful for…”This time of year, it’s important to feel some gratitude and not just for your mom’s amazing pecan pie. When I was a counselor in an alcohol and drug treatment program, one of the first things patients focused on in early recovery was the “gratitude list.” It’s easy - at the end of every day, list at least 5 things (10 is better) for which you are grateful. It became a habit for me. Some really bad days, maybe all I came up with was “I’m grateful I have a garage so I don’t have to hack 10 inches of snow off my car.” But doing it reminded me to pay attention to the good stuff.How about showing a little love to your employer? What?! The same people who gave you a .05 salary increase this year and laid off your buddies? We are all too quick to go for the negative aspects of working in these tough times. But how about the #1 reason to be grateful - you have a job. Many are not so lucky … [Read more...] about Ways to Show Gratitude to Your Employer
3 Ways to Use Twitter at Work
Twitter is all the rage these days. Even organizations like ESPN and CNN are using their own accounts to spread their message far and wide. But for some people, employers may discourage the use of Twitter in the workplace. I'm going to share a few ways that might help you to get your tweet on at work. In my previous job, Twitter was blocked, but I found some workarounds. In my current position, Twitter is not blocked, and I have used it to great success with researching and connecting to other professionals in my industry. I can definitely make the case for tweeting on the job! SpreadtweetUsing Excel? You can disguise your Twitter behind a spreadsheet skin with Spreadtweet. All of the basic Twitter functions can be handled from inside this program. If you're not locked in the '90s with the rest of us, and you have Office 2007 or even a Mac, there are versions to match your software's look and feel. Check out the Spreadtweet site for more info. TwitterGadgetGmail has some amazing … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Use Twitter at Work
Making Common Workplace Fears More Manageable
You’re probably thinking that I'm going to talk about the fear of public speaking, which is often identified as our #1 fear. But I’m thinking of more subtle fears that people don’t always discuss that make the workplace extremely difficult for some workers.As a therapist, I’ve treated people with diagnosed anxiety disorders, but also milder anxiety symptoms and signs. Worry over finances, health issues, parenting, school and relationships fall into that category. These fears fall somewhere between the two. What kinds of fears do people struggle with at work? * Interviewing - some folks are natural salespeople and comfortable selling themselves as the ideal candidate to a potential employer. Most of the rest of us aren’t. * Talking to the boss about “touchy” topics like asking for a raise or time off. * Long meetings. Any social gathering can be excruciating for some people. … [Read more...] about Making Common Workplace Fears More Manageable
6 Reasons Staff Evaluations FAIL
I've worked on staff evaluations before, but this year, as I pressed forward on a batch of them, it occurred to me how royally f'd up the system is. With the economy still 'uncertain,' many companies are stingier than ever when it comes to raises and praise. Apparently the two go hand-in-hand. The suits think that if you shower an employee with commendations, they will expect a raise to match. But since it always seems like it's the year of the tightwad, it appears most organizations are holding back in all categories.The annual review is designed to keep employees happy - but not too happy. In other words, staff evaluations are approached as a mechanism to maintain the status quo. As a younger worker, I lived and died by the annual review. Now I see what a useless gauge it really is. Every company handles evaluations and merit raises differently, but in my experience, here are a few reasons why staff evals FAIL.1) Evaluations are like a … [Read more...] about 6 Reasons Staff Evaluations FAIL
Obama to Hold '09 Job Forum
CNNMoney.com says that President Obama plans to hold a job forum at the White House in December to brainstorm about job creation. Those invited to the forum will include CEOs, small business owners, economists, financial experts, and representatives from labor and non-profits. (Jobacle is patiently awaiting our invite). The president is facing a 10.2% unemployment rate but says there have been encouraging signs of economic growth and a slowing of the loss of jobs in recent months, but also said employers are still reluctant to hire and millions are desperate to find work. Some economists have been arguing for another round of stimulus to ward off sliding into another recession. Not everyone is convinced. And politically, the prospects for passing a single stimulus package with a big price tag are not high. Instead the administration and Congress are looking for smaller initiatives that can be taken both by the government and the private sector. One idea that has been floated to … [Read more...] about Obama to Hold '09 Job Forum
How to Look Productive While Goofing Off
It’s not online Shopping, It’s “Research”We’re approaching that time of year where workers typically develop a case of “holiday distraction disorder.” Most of us become overloaded with holiday plans and the end-of-year work push. (I’ll suggest some stress-busters later this month.)There’s much discussion about being productive in this time of layoffs and working leaner/meaner. But let’s not forget the fine art of looking productive while goofing off. Now, I’m not talking about the slackers in your office - any efforts they make to look busy are useless. I mean those of us normally hard-working types who just need to blow a few hours or a day or two. One maneuver I perfected while working in a hospital-based substance abuse program was the “consult.” Our staff rotated on a “drunk watch” schedule - part of your day had to be cleared to do an assessment if a drunk/addict stumbled into the ER. … [Read more...] about How to Look Productive While Goofing Off
6 Tips to Jumpstart Your Holiday Job Search
Seventy percent of jobs today are not advertised. Unlock the Hidden Job Market, a new book from executive career consultant Duncan Mathison, shows how smart job seekers target the larger hidden job market by approaching it with different attitudes, upgraded networking techniques and job searching tools that are specifically relevant to today’s economy. So what does this mean to those who are looking for jobs during the holiday season?Do not fall into the holiday slump. The dumbest thing a job searcher can do now is put off the search until after the first of the year when there might be more jobs out there. People will be hired after the first of the year, but they will be the ones who got introduced to the hiring manager in the next few months.The smart job searcher who is targeting the hidden job market understands that managers have the most flexibility in creating jobs during the budgeting season when they are looking at priorities and positions. Strike now when … [Read more...] about 6 Tips to Jumpstart Your Holiday Job Search
Softscape Introduces New Job Distribution Service
Softscape recently announced the Softscape Job Distribution Service that utilizes social networking sites and enables customers to reach a considerably greater candidate pool with each job posting. The service is offered as part of the Hiring & Recruiting Suite within Softscape's complete talent management software platform. The Softscape Job Distribution Service taps into social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Improving hiring efficiencies and finding top candidates are constant challenges for any size organization. As the global economy slowly improves and hiring volume increases, rapidly filling key positions ahead of the competition will be essential. This new service offers a simple, automated feed to a number of major social networking websites to help expedite job distribution. People continue to spend a tremendous amount of time on social media sites and this new distribution method enables HR professionals a more valuable way to reach potential … [Read more...] about Softscape Introduces New Job Distribution Service