How Employers Can Keep Workers Happy

How Employers Can Keep Workers Happy January can be a struggle for many of the UK’s workers, as life returns to normal after the revelries of the festive season. The combination of heading back to work, gloomy winter weather, and the financial consequences of over-indulging during the Christmas break can leave us all feeling low. This year, the ‘most depressing day of the year’ January’s infamous ‘Blue Monday’ is set to fall on 21st January. For employers, this can mean a demotivated and disengaged workforce at a time when being ready and raring to go is crucial for starting the year off well. With workplace morale set to dip this month, Erik Fjellborg, CEO Founder of Quinyx, the market leader in workforce management, shares some advice to help bosses banish those blues and retain a happy, motivated and productive workforce. Spread some New Year cheer Who said that work perks should be reserved exclusively for Christmas? At a time when everyone is feeling low, it’s more important than ever to reward your staff. Whether it’s something as simple as getting in a round of coffees or some sweet treats, small touches can go a long way to cheering up downbeat staff. For companies where logistics allow, why not go one step further and offer a late start or early finish to ease workers back into their routine. Taking measures like this will help boost morale and motivate your staff members. After all, it’s the little things in life that count and that applies to work life too.” Be  flexible Flexibility is key. Our recent study ‘Work that Keeps the UK Working’ found that 73% of the UK’s workers still face issues when it comes to flexibility in their current work schedules. With flexibility around when, where and how we work becoming ever more important to the country’s workforce Blue Monday presents the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that flexibility is at the heart of your business. Whether that’s letting someone work from home, or swap their shifts around to allow for other commitments, flexibility should be for everyone and that applies whether you run a boardroom, a bar or a shop floor. Unfortunately, flexibility still has connotations of spiraling costs and scheduling nightmares. But with the right tools in place, flexible working can be easier than people think. Giving staff some leeway will prove hugely beneficial in the long term.” Show you care With morale low, some staff may even begin to look for opportunities elsewhere. It’s not surprising that January also sees  â€˜Massive Monday’   the day of the year when record numbers of job seekers apply for new positions. Staff retention is a major problem for employers. It may sound simple, but one of the easiest ways to hold on to your workforce is just to show you care. Go that extra mile and get to know your staff members individually. Especially in larger businesses, its common for employees to feel neglected by management, with a  study  by the ADP Research Institute finding that nearly two thirds (62 percent) of UK workers believe they are undervalued at work. By taking the time to understand staff on a more personal level, bosses will demonstrate that employee happiness is a high priority. It will also help to work out the staff members who may not feel so settled, so steps can be taken to address the problem. Erik Fjellborg concluded: January is a notoriously difficult month for employees and can cause all manner of headaches for bosses. By using simple workforce management methods, employers can help their staff overcome those back to work blues and increase productivity as a side effect. The key thing to remember is that a happy workforce is essential to any successful business, so this Blue Monday I urge all of the UK’s employers to put employee happiness to the top of the agenda. About the author:  Quinyx  was founded in 2005 by  CEO Erik Fjellborg  after a summer spent working at McDonald’s. After witnessing how difficult it can be for managers to sort shifts manually, Erik built one of the world’s first  fully web-based Workforce Management solutions to do the heavy lifting.  McDonald’s loved Erik’s solution and became Quinyx’s first customer.

Holiday Pre-Party Skin Care Tips

Holiday Pre-Party Skin Care Tips As the festive season approaches, most of us will have a busy social calendar filled up with Christmas celebrations and of course, the all-important work Christmas party. The Christmas party is your opportunity to wow your colleagues with your best outfit, making a great impression in front of your management. However, as well as deciding on your best dress and accessories, you need to make sure your skin is looking it’s best too. With a bunch of Christmas celebrations to attend, party after party can take its toll on your skin and leave you with issues that even the best make up can’t cover up. But, don’t panic, help is at hand. Dermalogica retailer Pure Beauty has shared their favourite tricks and tips to keep your as radiant as ever. The night before Whilst you can’t work miracles overnight, it is possible to make a huge difference to your skin if you act the night before. Overnight remedies can help reduce any possible inflammation and redness of spots. One way to do this is to use a sheet mask, or soothe your skin with a cooling facemask. Drink plenty of water Possibly one the best yet easiest tips to follow on the list. Your water intake greatly effects the condition of your skin. You want to keep your skin hydrated as much as possible, so upping your water intake can greatly benefit your skin. Drinking the right amount of water can essentially moisturise your skin from the inside out. If you skin is dehydrated, wrinkles and pores can become more prominent. Dehydration doesn’t just effect your skin. It is important to keep hydrated to increase your body’s energy levels and for you party animals, it helps limit the severity of a hangover! Don’t have skincare treatments on the day of the party Facial booked for before your party? It is best to avoid it. More often than not, following a facial treatment, you are left red-face which isn’t a great look for the most important party of the year. That treatment could end up doing more damage than good, which you could make worse by covering your fresh pores with party make up. Stick to a week before instead as a general guide. That being said, don’t think you have to avoid all skin products on the day of the party. A little extra moisturiser earlier in the day can contribute to keeping your skin hydrated. Simplicity Keep your skincare routine simple. A basic routine means you are likely to maximise moisture and cleanliness without clogging up your pores. It is important to remove excess dirt and oils with a cleansing water and don’t forget to moisturise afterwards. In addition, exfoliate twice a week to remove any dead cells from the surface of your skin. However, scrubbing too often can be very damaging to the skin so only exfoliate in moderation. Eat well Eating the wrong foods can also contribute towards bad skin. Salty and fatty foods are best to avoid. Salt can increase the puffiness of your eyes so it is wise to avoid snacking on salty foods like chips and crisps. Even if we all love them… Different foods can provoke different reactions to each individual’s skin. You want your skin to be at its best so ensure you avoid any allergies. Focus on healthy food and you will be rewarded with healthy skin too. Go makeup free No, we aren’t being crazy. Makeup can be a girl’s best friend, especially at parties, but it is also quite bad for your skin. So if you have the confidence for it, then go make up free and go to your party with a fresh bare face avoiding makeup altogether. It can actually make you stand out for all the right reasons, encouraging people to take note of your natural beauty. For those of you who think we are stark crazy even suggesting that, try just toning down the heavier makeup with a little less concealer and foundation. Don’t be afraid to show your colleagues what is underneath. Don’t forget your lips Last but certainly not least, make sure you take great care of your lips. Wear a lip balm to perfect your pout. A lip balm can fend off any dry skin and keep your lips glossy and hydrated. If you take care of your skin, it’ll take care of you. Prepare for your party so that you can strut your stuff and turn heads for all the right reasons. And remember, remove your makeup before you pass out drunk when you get home. Image credits. Main.  Face.

Guest Post How to Leverage Social Media to Help Land the Job

Guest Post How to Leverage Social Media to Help Land the Job By Mike Zammuto Are your social media profiles impeding your career progress â€" or even preventing you from getting the job that you want? When a potential employer clicks over to your Facebook page and sees an embarrassing photo perhaps from that one crazy night in college it can kill your interview prospects. It’s a clear and present danger;  the Web is rife with articles about What Not to Post on Facebook; in fact, some career experts advise simply removing your social media accounts during your job search process This is certainly one solution, but is it the best one? Your social media account can hurt your career prospects, but it can also help them. While ill-advised social media posts can cause you to come across as disreputable or unprofessional, strategic social media posts can actually enhance your desirability among potential employers. Spotlighting Your Professional Achievements One thing all job seekers ought to include on their Facebook pages: easy access to their LinkedIn profiles. This may sound superfluous; after all, if a an employer can Google your Facebook account, couldnt she just as easily locate your LinkedIn page? Probably, but including a link to your professional profile on your Facebook page shows that you are serious about your career, and it keeps the spotlight on your professional acumen. If you are using Facebook to network, it sends the clear signal that you are open to job offers! Your Community Work A lot of companies say that they are passionate about community service and social responsibility and a lot of them actually mean it! You can reinforce your own charitable and philanthropic work on a resume; and reinforce the message on Facebook and LinkedIn. You can like the pages of all the charities and social organizations you support, and if you take place in a charity walk or run, or build a Habitat house, you can include the photos on your profile. If you belong to any professional organizations or affiliations, list them, and like their pages.  Are you a college senior or a recent graduate, still enjoying membership in a prestigious academic organization? Mention that, too. Facebook can also highlight your hobbies, your family life, fitness activities and more. These are the kinds of things that are no longer included on a resume or CV, but on social networks, you will come  across as a more well-rounded and human candidate making you that much more appealing to recruiters and hiring managers. A poorly-maintained social media profile can be your professional undoing but, just as surely, an optimized and strategic social media page can actually boost your career prospects. Mike Zammuto is the COO of Brand.com. The company provides services to connect brands directly with publishers, which in turn gives people access to news media.

Thinking About A Change Of Career

Thinking About A Change Of Career Thinking About A Change Of Career? Many people decide to change career at some point in their lives. Often it can be a decision that has been forced upon them through redundancy, or after suffering from a severe injury that prevents them from continuing in the same line of work. But sometimes a change of career can be a personal choice when you finally decide to follow your dreams and do a job that you love instead of one that you may well have simply fallen into out of convenience or family expectations. Whatever your reasons for wanting to pursue a change of career, it can be quite a shock to the system and bit of a challenge when you realize that in most cases, you would need to completely start over from the very bottom rung on the ladder.This can be difficult for a person who maybe has spent 20 years or so in one career only to now find themselves competing with 20-somethings who are fresh out of college and have no commitments. It can be an extra strain on your mind to know that you will be starting over agai n maybe with a family and children to support as well as a mortgage to pay.But what you must take into consideration is that fact that if you dont go for it and make a career change now, you might live to regret it.When you think that we spend the majority of our waking hours at work, we need to make sure that we at least enjoy what we do for the sake of our mental health.If this means switching career to land your dream job, then it may mean a few short years of upheaval while you and your family adjust, but in the end it will be worth it â€" and it will be a much better choice than sticking with the same job or working in the same industry for the next 25 years where you know you are not happy.Making that changeOnce you realize that life is too short for it to be wasted being unhappy at work, then it is time to make that change and go after your dream job.The first thing to do is to sit down and make a plan of action about how you are going to end up in your dream job. You may wel l lack the qualifications and experience to be able to walk right into the role, so you will need to work out how you can gain the valuable skills and knowledge that employers will be looking for in a job candidate. This may involve taking up some evening classes or part-time study courses to gain the appropriate qualifications for the role. Check out what relevant education and training courses your local college offer and see if you can fit these in while continuing to work at your present job. It may be that you will need to ask for flexible working hours or use up your holiday entitlement to complete courses and take exams.Gain some relative experienceLook for any opportunities that can give you some valuable experience. This may be volunteering for the company in some way. Many charity organizations and social enterprises welcome volunteers, and you can gain some useful skills and background knowledge about the company that could be useful for landing you with a job with the m in the future.Do the company offer any junior or trainee positions that you can apply for? Your age shouldnt put you off from applying. OK, the salary may be lower than what you are used to in your present job, but if you can land a junior or trainee position with the company, you will be getting a solid foot in the door and gaining skills and experience that can eventually lead you on to landing your dream job with them.Use your experience to your advantageQuite often larger companies that offer paid internships and trainee positions will welcome more mature candidates because they will have a proven working track record and experience of working as part of a team, meeting deadlines and achieving set goals within an organization. You can use your work experience to your advantage here and will have something of great value to offer the company over a graduate with no real-world work experience.Network like there is no tomorrowSuccessful and effective networking is a skill that ne eds to be honed over a long period of time. No doubt you may already have a wealth of networking experience under your belt, and certainly far more than a fresh-faced college graduate has. You may well have done more deals and shaken more hands than a 20-something has in their whole lifetime. Use your networking skills to put the word out about your career change. You never know â€" there may be someone already in your network that already knows of a perfect job opening for you, but unless they know you are looking to switch careers, they wont think to mention it to you! previous article Sweet Peach Resume Template Giveaway next article Oxygen Resume Template Freebie you might also like6 Online Gigs You Can Do During Coronavirus Outbreak (To Offset Your Lost Income)

Writing a Resume For a Government Job

Writing a Resume For a Government JobWriting a resume for a government job can be a daunting task for many. Not knowing the proper format, or even what a resume is in the first place can make things seem almost impossible. However, you should know that once you know the basic format of a resume, it is not so hard to write.The overall job description that will appear on your resume will consist of information about you that includes your education, the kind of work experience you have, and your education background as well. Make sure to include this information in a manner that helps others identify who you are. It is possible that many people who read your resume may not even realize that your educational background was quite different than they thought.Your resume will also have information about you in your education section about where you studied, your career goals, any honors or awards you may have received, any professional organizations you belong to or volunteer work you have been involved in that would make you qualified for the position you are applying for. This information should be up front and easy to understand. Of course, you should not include resumes that are too long, as this could cause the employer to skip over them or even disregard them.Many employers will provide free samples of a resume that you can use. They may offer these to their applicants in order to make sure that you will be able to complete the application properly. If you do receive a sample of a resume, it is important to review it carefully and make sure it clearly states all of the information that you will need to include on your resume.You should begin by writing all of the information on your resume in its entirety. When you are in a job interview, the employer will be looking at your entire resume. Make sure to get each item down, and then complete all of them on one sheet of paper. Then, simply add them up in order of your education, employment history, and experience. When you are presenting your resume to a placement agent, always read through it carefully and spell check before you give it to anyone. You do not want to be late in sending it to the agency, or be rejected, as the decision is not only based on the type of job you are applying for, but also the qualifications of the applicant. If you misspell words, misplace numbers, or even try to cut corners with information, you will lose that opportunity for the job.When you have finished writing your resume, sit down and go over it carefully. Most likely, your resume will not include every section of information that will be required for the job. A good practice is to make a list of the information that you want included on your resume, and then check to see if it is included on the samples provided by the placement agency.Once you have completed the steps above, and you have submitted your resume to the company, it is time to think about how you are going to market yourself and your candidacy in order to get noticed by the company. If you are unfamiliar with using Internet websites, you can contact your local recruitment company to see if they can help you with marketing your resume through the Internet. After all, the Internet can help you attract potential employers in a much more efficient manner than other types of advertising.

Hire Education - CareerAlley

Hire Education - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Its Time for the big job interview and youve come prepared: your vocational training and/or certificate has ensured youre prepared for this specific job, and its sure to make you stand out in a world flooded with bachelors degrees. This infographic discusses what you can tell your interviewer to prove youre the best fit for the job. Presented By CSI Now This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif

Getting The Perfect Career In A Competitive Landscape - CareerAlley

Getting The Perfect Career In A Competitive Landscape - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The hardest part of getting your dream job isnt necessarily figuring out what you want to do; its beating the competition. But you might be able to get further in your professional pursuits by both assessing your available options and taking the time necessary to transform yourself into the best possible candidate for any potential job opportunity that you pursue. In this article, were going to discuss the steps you should take if you want to get the perfect career in a competitive landscape. Picture Source Choose a path based on who you are. This is the most essential step towards attaining the perfect career. If you want to beat the fierce competition in a particular industry then you have to ensure that youre the best possible option for a particular job role. Obviously, this can be achieved through hard work over time. For instance, you might not be qualified to be a dentist today, but that doesnt mean you should give up on such a career path if youre willing to take the time necessary to study. But youll definitely give yourself a stronger headstart if you choose a path based on who you are. The hardest part of getting your dream job isnt necessarily figuring out what you want to do; its beating the competition. Tweet This This is about looking at your experience, qualifications, and characteristics. What skills do you currently have? What kind of working environments would benefit your mindset? What goals do you have in life? Employers are looking for candidates that will be competent, comfortable, and motivated in a job role. If you want to get ahead in a competitive landscape then you should be looking for a career path that suits who you are on all of those levels. You can start making a list of industries and particular job roles that sound well-suited to you. Personalized interview coaching Price: At TopInterview, each session is tailored to you and your unique goals. Your choice of comprehensive packages make it easy to get the help you need to nail your interviews. TopInterview offers three plans based on your needs Ace your interview We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Once youve started to think about paths that might be well-suited to you, you need to narrow down your options. You might be juggling several ideas that sound great, but if you want the perfect career then you need to make sure youre actually pursuing the perfect career. In other words, you need to weigh up your options in terms of pros and cons. Perhaps youre caring, so you feel pulled towards careers in both healthcare and teaching. However, you have to think about more than your personality traits. Perhaps you lack a strong stomach or youre not prepared to study for several years to be qualified for a healthcare career. Alternatively, perhaps youre not prepared for the demands of being a teacher. You need to think about your skills and personality traits. The goal is to find a job which satisfies enough criteria in both of those categories. The better the job fit, the more likely you are to beat the competition. Start networking. The next step is to start networking. Forget the idea that youll always be at a disadvantage because there are so many potential candidates out there with connections in the industry. Yes, knowing people in the right places can be very beneficial, but the rest of it is down to you. If youre better than another potential candidate then it doesnt matter who they know. Moreover, its never too late to form your own connections. You just need to know who to reach in order to have a shot at acquiring the position which interests you. Networking For Dummies Price: $32.21 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 For starters, you should use LinkedIn. This is a fantastic social networking site for working professionals. Unlike other forms of social media, LinkedIn helps to advertise you to potential employers who might be interested in someone with your abilities. Youll find that you get friend requests from people in all sorts of industries if you list your skillsets and experience clearly and accurately. Be a little proactive, of course. Search for the people who can get you connected in the industry. Dont be afraid to send messages to potential employers. The direct nature of such communication might make more of an impression on a company than yet another CV in a pile of resumes. Picture Source Study You also need to study, as briefly mentioned earlier, if you want to stand out in a competitive landscape. Whether youre pursuing a career in healthcare that requires years of studying or a career in sales that might only require a few weeks of training, you should never dismiss the importance of qualifications in the working world. Even if you have the bare minimum qualifications necessary for a particular position at a company, that doesnt mean youre going to get the role. Another candidate might come along with one more qualification, and that might sway the employer towards picking them over you. LinkedIn Learning Price: LinkedIn Learning provides over 10,000 business, technology, and creative skills development courses designed for in-depth instruction and just-in-time microlearning Enhance Your Skills We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Study as much as possible. You might even want to return to education. You might ask yourself is a masters degree worth it? and the answer is yes. Its always worth studying further to gain additional qualifications. Life is all about evolving and constant change. Whenever were on the lookout for a new job, we have to find the appropriate reasons. Sometimes its not so straightforward, we end up falling into a career that provides us with a salary, so we feel inclined to stay with it, for fear that theres nothing else out there. But when we get bored with this job, its time to change our career, not just so we feel happier in what we do, but also, finding something that provides the appropriate perks. Changing your career is never an easy navigation, but what can you do to ensure that you navigate it successfully? Changing Your Career Successfully Master the interviewing process. This is something you need to do before stepping into an interview. Rather than wasting several opportunities by learning via practice, you should make sure you know exactly what to expect from the interviewing process before you apply to a particular job. Give yourself some time to prepare. Having an impressive CV is important, but every other candidate will most likely have the same qualifications and experience as you. Thats the whole point of companies offering interviews. Theyre trying to narrow down the options by seeing what candidates are really like in person. You need to aim to do more than simply live up to expectations; you need to stand out. Make sure youre confident. You dont want the employer to think your words have been rehearsed. Make sure you have an idea of the things you want to say, of course, but you need to be ready to go off-topic. After all, the interviewer will most likely challenge you by asking unexpected questions. They dont want to see you churn a pre-written speech. They want to see if youre capable of thinking on your feet. Make sure you research the company in question (its history and the requirements of your specific job role). Then, make sure you revise. That way, youll be prepared for a variety of questions. You should also prepare some questions that you want to ask the interviewer. This will impress them because itll show that youre truly interested in the business. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search