Announcing JibberJobberUSA.com

Announcing JibberJobberUSA.com This week we will be sharing news and announcements as we celebrate our two year anniversary! We are also offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer for a one year upgrade to JibberJobber click here for more info! JibberJobberUSA.com should not have taken this long to get out, or announce! But it has been an interesting path. First, let me share what it is, then Ill share the history. The most important thing is, its live, available and ready to help those who may need it most! What is JibberJobberUSA.com? JibberJobberUSA.com is a site dedicated to helping servicemen and servicewomen (can I just say serviceman?) transition back home from deployment. If you are deployed, have been deployed, or will be deployed, we give you twelve months of premium services at no charge, from the time you get back home. In fact, if you arent home yet, well start your premium service now, which allows your friends/family to help beef up your network contacts and target companies, while you are gone. This is not a political statement, its just our position as a company who could, who should, help individuals who are serving their country. The offer was made in July of 2006 and will not be rescinded. It applies to any US serviceman, or any serviceman from an ally country. Please help spread the word about JibberJobberUSA.com, and encourage anyone in the military to signup, whether they are deployed or not. What is the history of JibberJobberUSA.com? Back in July of 2006 we released an announcement about this offer through the blog and PRWeb. We had a rather clunky process, requiring you to click on a certain link to signup for the free twelve months, and then have two e-mails sent to us to verify that you were indeed deployed. We managed, though, and this was fine for a while. This press release led to our first big podcast interview by the podcast giant in the HR/career space, Peter Clayton from Total Picture Radio. This interview was a blast for a number of reasons: he requested (er, made me :p) get a real picture taken for his blog post, it was a full 39 minute program just on JibberJobber and the JibberJobber story, it put us on the map in HR, outplacement, with recruiters, etc, and has led to some awesome deals and relationships. I tried to network my way into various places where I could get the word out about the military offer. I went to at least one military base and made a presentation. I approached sites like military.com, who specialize in getting information to those who needed it most. I got nowhere. Ill attribute this failure to a few things: (a) the fact that our site was brand new, and who wanted to help champion something that could go away overnight (JibberJobber was barely three months old), (b) Im not in sales, marketing or PR, and probably went about it wrong, and (c) immense layers of bureaucracy (yuck). I started a blog called TransitioningHome.com, but we had some server glitches and this was something that was lost in the shuffle. Everything else with JibberJobber was taken care of, but when the server stuff happened, and we lost TransitioningHome, I felt I just had to move on. I couldnt spend the time and effort kicking against a brick wall trying to push the idea to various groups and getting nowhere, especially while there were other things happening with JibberJobber. But the offer never went away. And the idea was always on my mind. I met two of my users for dinner in the Salt Lake area, and we talked about this offer. The husband had served three times in the Middle East, and right after dinner I came home and bumped him up for 12 months. It was gratifying to give a tiny, tiny bit back to someone who had left their family and safety to serve his country. They had a brilliant suggestion: make a separate site, that looked patriotic and would resonate with a serviceman, and make it look more on purpose. I tell people all the time to have their career be on purpose, and I knew I had to do this. So we launched JibberJobberUSA.com. I got some graphics help from Andy Osier, a freelance designer, who helped prepare the logo (thank you Andy!). I talked with military and ex-military about the signup form, so now you dont have to send two e-mails to us. And then, a most fortunate thing happened. I was at a conference (a few weeks ago) and met someone who is a PR expert in the military space. He has been for 25 years. I was able to steal some of his time and we talked about JibberJobberUSA, what it is, why we are doing it, and what I need. And he enthusiastically said he would help! I couldnt believe it for almost two years I had tried and tried, getting nowhere. And then I end up, sitting next to a guy who can really help me get this moving. And we are moving, and its exciting! Im proud to share this re-opening with you during our two year anniversary week. Announcing JibberJobberUSA.com This week we will be sharing news and announcements as we celebrate our two year anniversary! We are also offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer for a one year upgrade to JibberJobber click here for more info! JibberJobberUSA.com should not have taken this long to get out, or announce! But it has been an interesting path. First, let me share what it is, then Ill share the history. The most important thing is, its live, available and ready to help those who may need it most! What is JibberJobberUSA.com? JibberJobberUSA.com is a site dedicated to helping servicemen and servicewomen (can I just say serviceman?) transition back home from deployment. If you are deployed, have been deployed, or will be deployed, we give you twelve months of premium services at no charge, from the time you get back home. In fact, if you arent home yet, well start your premium service now, which allows your friends/family to help beef up your network contacts and target companies, while you are gone. This is not a political statement, its just our position as a company who could, who should, help individuals who are serving their country. The offer was made in July of 2006 and will not be rescinded. It applies to any US serviceman, or any serviceman from an ally country. Please help spread the word about JibberJobberUSA.com, and encourage anyone in the military to signup, whether they are deployed or not. What is the history of JibberJobberUSA.com? Back in July of 2006 we released an announcement about this offer through the blog and PRWeb. We had a rather clunky process, requiring you to click on a certain link to signup for the free twelve months, and then have two e-mails sent to us to verify that you were indeed deployed. We managed, though, and this was fine for a while. This press release led to our first big podcast interview by the podcast giant in the HR/career space, Peter Clayton from Total Picture Radio. This interview was a blast for a number of reasons: he requested (er, made me :p) get a real picture taken for his blog post, it was a full 39 minute program just on JibberJobber and the JibberJobber story, it put us on the map in HR, outplacement, with recruiters, etc, and has led to some awesome deals and relationships. I tried to network my way into various places where I could get the word out about the military offer. I went to at least one military base and made a presentation. I approached sites like military.com, who specialize in getting information to those who needed it most. I got nowhere. Ill attribute this failure to a few things: (a) the fact that our site was brand new, and who wanted to help champion something that could go away overnight (JibberJobber was barely three months old), (b) Im not in sales, marketing or PR, and probably went about it wrong, and (c) immense layers of bureaucracy (yuck). I started a blog called TransitioningHome.com, but we had some server glitches and this was something that was lost in the shuffle. Everything else with JibberJobber was taken care of, but when the server stuff happened, and we lost TransitioningHome, I felt I just had to move on. I couldnt spend the time and effort kicking against a brick wall trying to push the idea to various groups and getting nowhere, especially while there were other things happening with JibberJobber. But the offer never went away. And the idea was always on my mind. I met two of my users for dinner in the Salt Lake area, and we talked about this offer. The husband had served three times in the Middle East, and right after dinner I came home and bumped him up for 12 months. It was gratifying to give a tiny, tiny bit back to someone who had left their family and safety to serve his country. They had a brilliant suggestion: make a separate site, that looked patriotic and would resonate with a serviceman, and make it look more on purpose. I tell people all the time to have their career be on purpose, and I knew I had to do this. So we launched JibberJobberUSA.com. I got some graphics help from Andy Osier, a freelance designer, who helped prepare the logo (thank you Andy!). I talked with military and ex-military about the signup form, so now you dont have to send two e-mails to us. And then, a most fortunate thing happened. I was at a conference (a few weeks ago) and met someone who is a PR expert in the military space. He has been for 25 years. I was able to steal some of his time and we talked about JibberJobberUSA, what it is, why we are doing it, and what I need. And he enthusiastically said he would help! I couldnt believe it for almost two years I had tried and tried, getting nowhere. And then I end up, sitting next to a guy who can really help me get this moving. And we are moving, and its exciting! Im proud to share this re-opening with you during our two year anniversary week. Announcing JibberJobberUSA.com This week we will be sharing news and announcements as we celebrate our two year anniversary! We are also offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer for a one year upgrade to JibberJobber click here for more info! JibberJobberUSA.com should not have taken this long to get out, or announce! But it has been an interesting path. First, let me share what it is, then Ill share the history. The most important thing is, its live, available and ready to help those who may need it most! What is JibberJobberUSA.com? JibberJobberUSA.com is a site dedicated to helping servicemen and servicewomen (can I just say serviceman?) transition back home from deployment. If you are deployed, have been deployed, or will be deployed, we give you twelve months of premium services at no charge, from the time you get back home. In fact, if you arent home yet, well start your premium service now, which allows your friends/family to help beef up your network contacts and target companies, while you are gone. This is not a political statement, its just our position as a company who could, who should, help individuals who are serving their country. The offer was made in July of 2006 and will not be rescinded. It applies to any US serviceman, or any serviceman from an ally country. Please help spread the word about JibberJobberUSA.com, and encourage anyone in the military to signup, whether they are deployed or not. What is the history of JibberJobberUSA.com? Back in July of 2006 we released an announcement about this offer through the blog and PRWeb. We had a rather clunky process, requiring you to click on a certain link to signup for the free twelve months, and then have two e-mails sent to us to verify that you were indeed deployed. We managed, though, and this was fine for a while. This press release led to our first big podcast interview by the podcast giant in the HR/career space, Peter Clayton from Total Picture Radio. This interview was a blast for a number of reasons: he requested (er, made me :p) get a real picture taken for his blog post, it was a full 39 minute program just on JibberJobber and the JibberJobber story, it put us on the map in HR, outplacement, with recruiters, etc, and has led to some awesome deals and relationships. I tried to network my way into various places where I could get the word out about the military offer. I went to at least one military base and made a presentation. I approached sites like military.com, who specialize in getting information to those who needed it most. I got nowhere. Ill attribute this failure to a few things: (a) the fact that our site was brand new, and who wanted to help champion something that could go away overnight (JibberJobber was barely three months old), (b) Im not in sales, marketing or PR, and probably went about it wrong, and (c) immense layers of bureaucracy (yuck). I started a blog called TransitioningHome.com, but we had some server glitches and this was something that was lost in the shuffle. Everything else with JibberJobber was taken care of, but when the server stuff happened, and we lost TransitioningHome, I felt I just had to move on. I couldnt spend the time and effort kicking against a brick wall trying to push the idea to various groups and getting nowhere, especially while there were other things happening with JibberJobber. But the offer never went away. And the idea was always on my mind. I met two of my users for dinner in the Salt Lake area, and we talked about this offer. The husband had served three times in the Middle East, and right after dinner I came home and bumped him up for 12 months. It was gratifying to give a tiny, tiny bit back to someone who had left their family and safety to serve his country. They had a brilliant suggestion: make a separate site, that looked patriotic and would resonate with a serviceman, and make it look more on purpose. I tell people all the time to have their career be on purpose, and I knew I had to do this. So we launched JibberJobberUSA.com. I got some graphics help from Andy Osier, a freelance designer, who helped prepare the logo (thank you Andy!). I talked with military and ex-military about the signup form, so now you dont have to send two e-mails to us. And then, a most fortunate thing happened. I was at a conference (a few weeks ago) and met someone who is a PR expert in the military space. He has been for 25 years. I was able to steal some of his time and we talked about JibberJobberUSA, what it is, why we are doing it, and what I need. And he enthusiastically said he would help! I couldnt believe it for almost two years I had tried and tried, getting nowhere. And then I end up, sitting next to a guy who can really help me get this moving. And we are moving, and its exciting! Im proud to share this re-opening with you during our two year anniversary week.

Before You Ask to Connect - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Before You Ask to Connect - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Before asking individuals to connect online, there are rules for engagement to be taken into serious consideration. Otherwise, instead of realizing your goal of connecting, you will turn the other party off and will be ignored. Communicate as an equal Have you ever been approached by someone seemingly suggesting he can save your business from destruction? It is an insulting approach and assumes much too much. The better ideas for an initial approach is to simply ask to connect. If you have something in common or admire an area of expertise, point that out. Most importantly, avoid all assumptions. When improper assumptions are made, it comes across as speaking down to the recipient. Although the other party does not have your expertise, it is very likely they too hold expertise that you do not have, thereby equalizing the conversation. But if you already made the wrong assumption, the other party will pass on making the connection. Recognize the person’s area of expertise Use the Professional Sales and Goodwill methodology. Upon seeing the other person agreeing to connect, and you believe there is potential business, offer an email exchange or phone conversation to find ways of helping one another. Include saying something nice about the person’s experience and why it attracted your attention. Match what the two of you do. Offer a choice of days and times to connect live, and add that if those times do not work, to offer alternatives. * The offer of helping one another holds far better potential than immediately trying to sell without knowing much about the other party. Connecting with someone who appears to have greater experience As your business builds, once in a while approach people who have a seemingly higher level of expertise. There is nothing to lose because the worst case will be no reply. However, many times that person may see something of interest in your profile, or, at the very least, recognizes they have nothing to lose and will accept your invitation. Following these guidelines, you have everything to gain with nothing to lose, so make this practice a habit. And by leveraging this habit, some of the social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn, will notify you of others in the person’s network. Before deleting the email, scan the list of people to see their job titles and if their experience sounds of interest. If so, start the process all over again. 20 minutes per day strategy Actively seeking others out to connect will bring extra email to your in-box. The best approach is to deal with these daily so they do not pile up, but after you have worked on your high priority business matters first. Likewise, initiate connections between projects, and at the end of the day. Consider apps for your phone as they speed up the process, and provide excellent use of your time when you are waiting for someone or are in line. These strategies will have you exponentially growing your network. Further develop reasons as to why your network should remain connected using great content. You will be found and you will find the Smooth Sale!

What is the ONLY Recruitment Metric that Matters

What is the ONLY Recruitment Metric that Matters You have a lot of things to do in your job. Am I right? You are super-busy all the time. Candidates to interview. Resumes to prepare. References to take. Sales calls to make. Visits to go on. Calls to return. Admin to tie up. Your company also has a raft of KPI’s and activities they want you to meet. It never ends. And it’s all so important. But bring it in tight everyone. There is only one thing you need to measure when it comes to being a perm or search recruiter. The golden metric. How many of your candidates are sitting opposite your clients. That is it. ‘Client Candidate Interviews’, or CCIs as we call them at Firebrand. Yes, our ultimate goal is placements. And the happy clients, happy talent and happy us that will result from lots of placements. But placements are the outcome. We don’t make the job offer. So we can’t control the outcome. We need to focus on the activity that leads to the outcome. What is the one thing that must happen for a talent to be hired? They get interviewed! Everything else you do in this job either leads up to that happy moment, or supports the outcome of that event. (Of course quality counts too. You have to take qualified job spec and find great talent and make a great match. But that’s a given, right?) The reality is that if you arrange for one candidate to sit opposite one client in one week, you can by definition make… one placement! And only then if all the recruiting Gods are smiling on you. But if you get three interviews on different jobs you could get three placements. Or three interviews on the same job, exponentially increases your chances of one placement. And if you get 15 candidates sitting in interviews… The point is you got to make lots and lots of interviews! So obvious I know. Yet I often hear what a great week a recruiter had, and when I dig a little… busy, busy, busy… but no CCIs! It’s in the CCI that the magic happens! So you have had a ‘busy’ week. Go, go, go. You are so tired. So satisfied you have given it your all. Ask yourself as you open that first beer on Friday at 6 pm. “How many of my candidates are sitting down opposite my clients as a result of what I did this week?” None? #Fail RELATED:  Agency Recruitment is Totally Screwed: Here’s Why!

Can a Headhunter Help You Maybe, Maybe Not. - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Can a Headhunter Help You Maybe, Maybe Not. - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When you hear the term “headhunter” what is the first thing that comes to mind? How would you describe what you think a headhunter is, what role he or she plays in the job market? Chances are, if you’re at all like the typical job hunter, here is probably how you would describe a headhunter: “A headhunter is someone who can help you get a job or help you find a new one.” There is at least a kernel of truth in this response, this widespread perception, but to be honest about it, only a small kernel. Let me begin this post with a revelation that many of you may find shocking: Only SIX percent of the jobs in the marketplace today are filled by headhunters. Yes, you read that correctly. Just a very small percentage of ALL available jobs are filled by headhunters, or at least by true headhunters. Let me explain. A true headhunter’s mission is to . . . Identify Qualify Attract and then Land . . . the TOP performing talent for a client hiring company. And, significant to note that, unlike career counselors, outplacement firms and staffing agencies, it is thehiring company that is the client in this transaction, not the job candidate. It is therefore the hiring company that pays any fee(s) involved in a successful placement, not the job candidate. A headhunter’s services to a job candidate are absolutely FREE to him or her, and such services can add significant value to the job candidate. DISPELLING OTHER MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT HEADHUNTERS A true headhunter nearly always focuses on a niche market or markets. For example, our executive recruiting firm, The Hire To Win Group, specializes in placing top candidates in sales, engineering, management and research development positions in the overall chemical industry. What this means for job candidates: If one is seeking a new job in, say, the advertising industry, not only could we NOT work with the candidate, we wouldn’t even try because his or her professional specialty does not fall within our agency’s market niche(s). The candidate would have to work with a headhunter whose specialty includes the advertising industry. For the sake of illustration, let’s assume that a new position you seek is within our market niche(s). Does that mean we can or will work with you? Depends. Since a hiring company normally pays a headhunter a fee ranging from 25% to 33% of the successful candidate’s first-year base salary, the company expects the headhunter ONLY to present them candidates who meet, essentially, TWO criteria: They are now doing the work (or very similar work) within the area of hiring interest (referred to as “current and relevant experience”). They have a proven (and provable) track record of quantifiableaccomplishments and professional achievements. By re-reading the first bullet point above, you should be able to easily infer that, in general, a headhunter cannot present an unemployed job candidate to a hiring company, or more precisely, he or she would be wasting his or her time to do so. Now, this does NOT mean that a hiring company would not consider hiring the unemployed candidate. It simply means the company will not pay a fee to a headhunter to hire the candidate. SERVICES A HEADHUNTER CAN PROVIDE JOB CANDIDATE So, let’s assume that your professional expertise is in the headhunter’s market niche(s), and he or she agrees to present you to client hiring companies. What services can you expect to receive from the headhunter? Here are some of the more significant: Custom résumé advice and assistance. Informed coaching that can significantly improve your performanceâ€"and chances!â€"during telephone and face-to-face interview. If you are made an offer, assistance with and advice on intelligentlynegotiating salary and/or benefits, based upon marketplace reality, not on “gut feel.” Will present you to appropriate hiring managers and the companies they represent. A thorough, knowledge/awareness of open positions making up the“hidden” job market. I’m sure you will agree that all of these services (and more!) would be very valuable to you if you are seeking a new career position. They could also provide you atremendous advantage over your “competition,” i.e., those men and women seeking the same positions as you, if they are not also working with a headhunter. But first, you must get onâ€"and then stay on!â€"a headhunter’s “radar.” GETTING ON, STAYING ON, A HEADHUNTERS RADAR To attract, and then retain, a headhunter’s attention, you must, at a minimum, meet these FOUR criteria: Be findable Be desirable Be contactable Be selectable To be FINDABLE make sure you develop, and then tightly control and maintain, a professional presence on sites such as the following: LinkedIn (linkedin.com) ZoomInfo (zoominfo.com) Data (data.com) (formerly, www.jigsaw.com) Google+ Your résumé and Google profiles (google.com) To be considered DESIRABLE you must have branded yourself as clearly being (and be perceived as being) among the TOP 20% of all candidates for similar positions you seek. That is, You must clearly be seen as someone who gets results. You must also be seen as someone with the qualities, background and professional skills and experience who can and will immediately andthoroughly address the specific need(s) of a hiring company. In order to be CONTACTABLE you must ensure that you keep ALL contact information, e.g., email address, contact telephone number, etc., current and up to date everywhere you maintain such information. It won’t make any difference how qualified you are, or how much you can offer a potential employer, if you can’t be easily and readily contacted! And finally, to be considered SELECTABLE, you must be open to at least discussing career opportunities with a headhunter, if one contacts you. You can be assured that, if a headhunter does contact you, he or she has found something in your professional background and/or credentials that gave him or her “cause for pause.” They are NOT contacting you to sell you something. (Remember, job candidates pay no fee(s) whatsoever to work with a true headhunter!) They are NOT contacting you to offer you a job either. The headhunter’s primary goal during the initial contact is to try to determine, as quickly and as efficiently as possible, if you are in fact a candidate whom he or she would like to add to his or her “inner circle,” as someone he or she may want to consider for future, appropriate career opportunities. In other words, the headhunter is merely attempting to determine if you may be selectable. IS A HEADHUNTER RIGHT FOR YOU? If you are a job hunter who may have been laboring under some false assumptions and perceptions about what a true headhunter is, I hope this post has helped you gain a better, more thorough understanding of his or her role in the job market. Canyou benefit from working with a headhunter? As I point out in the headline to this post, and as I’ve attempted to show you in the body of the post: Maybe, maybe not. To learn more details, check out my Kindle single entitled, How to be ‘Headhunted’ by TOP Recruiters. ______________________________ This post is a modified excerpt from Career Stalled?, Skip’s latest job-hunting book in the “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets Series of Career Development Management publications featured on Amazon.com. Click HERE to watch a one-minute video preview of Career Stalled? on YouTube. Going on a job interview soon? Know someone who is? Download Skip’s FREE  â€œHow to ACE the Job Interview!” publication by clicking HERE. Learn how to interview the way Superstars do!

Resume Services Are Important For All Job Seekers

Resume Services Are Important For All Job SeekersPurchasing resume services are important for any professional who requires a more professional resume. Most people will look to hire an on-line resume service to do their job for them in this day and age, but these services can be invaluable to those who are seeking one.A resume is the first thing that a potential employer will see. This is the first thing that you must focus on when creating your own resume. The next important part of a resume is having the necessary skill sets necessary to do the job. By using a resume service, it will provide you with the necessary skill sets that you may not have.Skills are important, because they are not taught in school. The skills that you have may be the skills that other employees have. By using the skills of other employees, it will show that you are knowledgeable in the subject matter and that you are someone that other employees look up to for their leadership abilities.With resume services , you will be able to purchase the resume and have it professionally written and edited for you. Once you receive your resume and you are able to review it, you will be able to see the number of skills that it includes. You will also be able to see which areas need more work so that you can become a more efficient worker.By using resume services, you will be able to have a professional looking resume without having to pay too much money for the service. By using a resume service, you will be able to know what is needed from the client. These services will give you the necessary skills that are needed for the job. Therefore, you will not be able to spend your money on hiring a professional to do the work for you.When you use resume services, it will be easier for you to customize the resume to be what you want it to be. Therefore, you will be able to be more effective in the job that you are applying for. When you do the job right, it will reflect how well you are doing in the positi on.One of the things that you will find when you use resume services is that they will help you create a professional looking resume. It will include the necessary skills necessary for the job and it will be formatted appropriately. You will be able to go back to using resume services in the future if you change jobs.Resume services are necessary for most employers because they want to know that they are hiring the best person for the job. If you do not have the skills that the employer is looking for, it will be hard for you to compete for the job. When you purchase resume services, you will be able to get the skills that you need to become the best you can be.

5 workplace trends driving change in offices

5 workplace trends driving change in offices From implementing wellness and sustainability initiatives, to leveraging technology investments and the growing freelance economy, the priority list of issues that affect the workplace and workplace happiness is as important as it is long. The Staples Advantage Workplace Index, a study of office workers, identified several workplace trends employers and employees will implement and experience this year. According to Neil Ringel, executive vice president, Staples Advantage, North America, these trends have significant implications for the future of the workplace. It’s important for employers â€" and employees â€" to know what is on the horizon. So to help leaders manage that priority list, here are five workplace trends that will drive change in offices across the country this year. 1. Increased investment in wellness initiatives Sixty-six percent of employees claim burnout is negatively affecting their productivity, so it’s critical for employers to invest in initiatives that focus on physical and mental wellness to enhance employee health and productivity. “Increased investment in employee wellness is key,” said Ringel. “More and more employers will implement initiatives that empower productivity, with the ancillary benefit of helping to control healthcare costs, too.” 2. Sustainability as a recruitment tool According to Ringel, “Sustainability has gone way beyond corporate social responsibility,” as employers will make it a key recruiting tool. Eco-friendly efforts will be essential in recruitment strategies this year, as 68 percent of employees consider a company’s sustainability practices to be an important factor when making career decisions. 3. Demand for flexibility will grow the freelance economy Nearly a quarter of surveyed employees freelance at least part-time today, and among those who do, nearly half say they would consider leaving their primary job to freelance full-time if it meant achieving more flexibility and better work-life balance. Nearly 40 percent of employees acknowledge that workplace flexibility increases workplace happiness. “This year we’ll see the freelance economy continue to grow as more employees strive for greater workplace flexibility,” said Ringel. “The pressure will be on employers to embrace both work-life balance issues and the growing freelance pool of talent.” 4. Fully embracing telecommuters Meeting the needs of the mobile workforce continues to be top of mind for employers. The majority of telecommuters acknowledge that telecommuting improves work productivity, work-life balance, and their overall happiness. However, 66 percent of employees surveyed reported that poorly performing technology decreases their productivity. So it’s no surprise that as more employees opt to work outside the physical office, employers will need to address the technology gap. “If companies want to effectively compete in the next decade, they must provide employees the right tools that are increasingly more mobile,” said Ringel. “The increased productivity will maximize the return on those investments, and employees will feel more empowered.” 5. Redesigned office space to meet the needs of a diverse workforce Many employees describe their office space as standard, plain or dull, and nearly half would like to see more attention paid to office design. Employees report that a well-designed office would improve interest in their work, creativity and their work ethic. As the workforce becomes more diverse and mobile, the traditional physical office will need to be reconfigured to meet their needs. Organizations don’t need a large budget to completely overhaul their office â€" incremental changes can really have an impact. It’s important for employers to be aware of these trends as they all play a significant role in helping recruit and retain top talent. By implementing strategies that help improve employees’ productivity, health, and happiness, organizations can create a culture where employees enjoy going to work. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available! 5 workplace trends driving change in offices From implementing wellness and sustainability initiatives, to leveraging technology investments and the growing freelance economy, the priority list of issues that affect the workplace and workplace happiness is as important as it is long. The Staples Advantage Workplace Index, a study of office workers, identified several workplace trends employers and employees will implement and experience this year. According to Neil Ringel, executive vice president, Staples Advantage, North America, these trends have significant implications for the future of the workplace. It’s important for employers â€" and employees â€" to know what is on the horizon. So to help leaders manage that priority list, here are five workplace trends that will drive change in offices across the country this year. 1. Increased investment in wellness initiatives Sixty-six percent of employees claim burnout is negatively affecting their productivity, so it’s critical for employers to invest in initiatives that focus on physical and mental wellness to enhance employee health and productivity. “Increased investment in employee wellness is key,” said Ringel. “More and more employers will implement initiatives that empower productivity, with the ancillary benefit of helping to control healthcare costs, too.” 2. Sustainability as a recruitment tool According to Ringel, “Sustainability has gone way beyond corporate social responsibility,” as employers will make it a key recruiting tool. Eco-friendly efforts will be essential in recruitment strategies this year, as 68 percent of employees consider a company’s sustainability practices to be an important factor when making career decisions. 3. Demand for flexibility will grow the freelance economy Nearly a quarter of surveyed employees freelance at least part-time today, and among those who do, nearly half say they would consider leaving their primary job to freelance full-time if it meant achieving more flexibility and better work-life balance. Nearly 40 percent of employees acknowledge that workplace flexibility increases workplace happiness. “This year we’ll see the freelance economy continue to grow as more employees strive for greater workplace flexibility,” said Ringel. “The pressure will be on employers to embrace both work-life balance issues and the growing freelance pool of talent.” 4. Fully embracing telecommuters Meeting the needs of the mobile workforce continues to be top of mind for employers. The majority of telecommuters acknowledge that telecommuting improves work productivity, work-life balance, and their overall happiness. However, 66 percent of employees surveyed reported that poorly performing technology decreases their productivity. So it’s no surprise that as more employees opt to work outside the physical office, employers will need to address the technology gap. “If companies want to effectively compete in the next decade, they must provide employees the right tools that are increasingly more mobile,” said Ringel. “The increased productivity will maximize the return on those investments, and employees will feel more empowered.” 5. Redesigned office space to meet the needs of a diverse workforce Many employees describe their office space as standard, plain or dull, and nearly half would like to see more attention paid to office design. Employees report that a well-designed office would improve interest in their work, creativity and their work ethic. As the workforce becomes more diverse and mobile, the traditional physical office will need to be reconfigured to meet their needs. Organizations don’t need a large budget to completely overhaul their office â€" incremental changes can really have an impact. It’s important for employers to be aware of these trends as they all play a significant role in helping recruit and retain top talent. By implementing strategies that help improve employees’ productivity, health, and happiness, organizations can create a culture where employees enjoy going to work.

What is Career Management Anyway

What is Career Management Anyway Career management is so much more than writing a resume or looking for a new job!   It is about making decisions on what you want to do and driving forward to make them a reality.   Managing your career means you have taken an oath to proactively seek opportunities to develop your own skills.   It means that you have a personal brand or reputation that you are monitoring and managing.   It means that you turn limiting situations into unlimited possibilities. You see it in rockstars sometimes.   You see it in deeply committed and passionate peers.   Every day, every week, every year, you are moving yourself along. I recently read this post Good to Great:   How You Can become a Level 5 Employee by Gini Deitrich   and agreed so much with the points, I had to pass it along. Enthusiasm:   Can it Get You Hired from Rehaul is another awesome post about how your likeability and enthusiasm can land you the job. Peter Weddles exceptional post explains how hiring expectations have changed and what employees will want to consider in this new world of hiring.   Escape Long-Term Unemployment with Career Activism from CareerCast In case you arent familiar with The Chief Happiness Officer, you may be interested to know about the site.   Heres a special Monday Tips post:   Lets Do Lunch You can manage your career, inside or outside your current employer.   Knowing where you want to go makes it that much easier.   Being sure of your strengths and matching that with opportunities sets you apart! Make it a proactive week or month. Ask or just take on solving a issue within your company or within a group you volunteer in. Meet new people every day and nurture relationships, inside and outside of your sphere industry or occupation Read, learn and commit to grow every day Try these three things this week and all month long.   See what starts to happen. If you have other suggestions on how to be proactive, share them in the comments!