Technology as a distraction - not losing your head

In today’s society, technology is everywhere. Picture the last time you caught the train – everyone was on their phone or tablet, right? People seem to have forgotten how to take time for themselves, to just look around the world. The use of technology is so pervasive in our lives that using technology to check social media is being discussed as an addiction. To add to this, studies have shown that young people would rather have their car stolen than their phone. So, why do we do it? Checking emails out of office hours on your phone has become synonymous with what people have to do to be successful. However, this technology can distance you from humanity and distract you from the important things in life. We give considerations on how to stay level headed and not let technology keep you from work, career and life goals!

How to change your thinking about the work your phone can do

Using social media is great to stay in touch with old friends or colleagues, but it becomes easy to forget that there is a human being on the other side. Consequently you may lose track of your purpose at that point in time, ie: to get in touch with and connect with another. It is important to familiarise yourself with the main intention you have when using your phone as a device before you get on it. This will help prevent against getting lost in a mass of emails or posts in your Facebook Newsfeed. This will also help prevent against those rage-filled Facebook status’ that your colleagues may see. Being self-aware of your thoughts and emotions is crucial in all settings, as well as being aware of the seemingly anonymous nature of the internet. Remember, employers and colleagues are now checking your Facebook, so use the same 'double-check' thinking you would use in a professional situation before any rant or party picture upload.

Why can’t I do both – have my Social media and be productive too?

In terms of multitasking, technology actually makes it harder to achieve your goals as it can facilitate a process called switch-tasking. This is multi-tasking without a specific goal in mind which is evidently unproductive. In many workplaces this can really drag down your productivity. Proper multitasking involves switching your mind between different parts of a process to achieve the same goal – not shifting your mental state entirely to a brand new task. An example of how technology makes this harder is constantly checking for notifications – unless work-related (which you will have to reply to as soon as possible), it is likely to be unimportant; and probably distract you from the task at hand.

So, how do you combat switch-tasking caused by distraction?

Research shows that solely using will-power will not cut it; rather you have to consciously integrate systems to schedule your work. A way you can do this is to work according to a scientific phenomenon called an ‘ultradian rhythm’ – the natural process which dictates how your body consumes energy. According to this theory, a cycle of 90 minutes of hard work followed by a 15 minute break is used to sync with ‘natural’ energy cycles to establish a higher focus and energy level. 

Do you have a way to balance phone and technology use through work effectively? Or find that you or other colleagues are hopelessly stuck to that screen? Let us know!

Guest Article: Globalisation, technology and outsourcing drive recruitment trends by Ross Clennett

Last week I wrote about a few key facts and pieces of data about the recruitment industry globally, that Barry Asin, the President of Staffing Industry Analysts shared at last month's RCSA International Conference held in Queenstown. This week I'll endeavour to highlight a few of the points Barry made about where the industry is heading, globally, in the near term. Barry summarised these

Article source:Ross Clennett - Globalisation, technology and outsourcing drive recruitment trends»



Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Vendors: Why Your Customers Hate You by Ben

Last week I was talking with a friend who is the Director of HR for an eleven million dollar company. They are trying to find an applicant tracking system to replace their current solution, and he asked me for some advice on where to start his search. He spent several hours looking around the web, scouring Google, and checking in with friends (hence the call to me). After all of that searching, all he had was a headache from the various frustrations he met during his search. While the experiment is quite informal, I think it’s an interesting peek into the mind of your average customer.

Why he’s changing platforms

He has been really happy with the applicant tracking system his company is using, but they have slowly started “premiumizing” the basic features he has come to rely on to get his daily work done. Bit by bit it was an acceptable nuisance because the basic price fit his budget and it was a tool the company had used for three years successfully.

We all know the truth, though. Businesses change. Products change. That’s part of life.

However, the new pricing model is built not on how much the system is used from a recruiting standpoint (number of applicants, job postings, recruiters, etc.), but on how many employees the company has. My friend is having trouble making sense of why that is the driving factor of the price when it isn’t relevant to the duties of a recruiter.

To be blunt, he feels slighted by the company that he has put his credibility on the line for, because he now has to request additional funds to purchase another system, train hiring managers to use it, and find out how to import legacy data into the platform.

I’m certain the new prices are going to fit some customers well, but it isn’t something that he can fit into his budget, so he’s on the hunt.

Lack of pricing information

Like pretty much every business decision, one of the initial hurdles is budget-based. In other words, can we afford it? However, even a simple question like that is virtually impossible to answer in a cursory review of some of the applicant tracking websites out there. Here are some of the questions that surfaced:

• So how is this pricing model determined again?


• How much will it actually cost? Is there a setup fee? What’s the annual cost? Is there a discount?


• The website says “free trial,” but I have to give them a credit card number to test it out—I don’t know if I trust them enough to give them that information just yet.

Lack of feature description

The next priority is feature set. Will this do what we need it to do?

• The website doesn’t have any screenshots. I need to see the user interface to see if it’s going to be intuitive for the recruiting team, hiring managers, and candidates.


• It lists a key feature I need, but it doesn’t tell me what tiers the feature is available for.


• I’d really like to see a demo or video tutorial, but all of that stuff is locked behind a sales rep. I don’t want to get on someone’s telemarketing list—I just want to look at the application.

Do your potential customers a favor

Have someone who is unfamiliar with your product visit your site and the sites of two or three of your competitors. They need to be looking for standard information: pricing, features, etc.

Without prompting or leading them, allow them to try and see how quickly they can find the information they are seeking and track how long it takes to do that.

If they have trouble finding the information, then a change might be necessary. Don’t do it for me–do it for your customers.

The post Vendors: Why Your Customers Hate You appeared first on upstartHR.

Article source:Ben - Vendors: Why Your Customers Hate You»



Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Why a candidate’s attitude should affect your hiring choices

We've all experienced bad customer service from time to time, whether it was in a clothing store, at your local supermarket, or calling up your utilities retailer to inquire about a bill. A common feeling following bad service is often complete dissatisfaction. This can lead to an effort to avoid the provider in the future, make a complaint and most commonly; share your negative experience with others. This same idea can be applied to the inner workings of all workplace relationships; if attitudes don’t match, your output will suffer. To make sure you proof your hires from possible PR nightmares and losses let alone poor staff relationships, it is important to get accustomed to considering the attitudes when making hiring decisions.

How can different attitudes affect your business?

The attitude of an employee can have both detrimental and advantageous effects on a business as a whole, so before you delve into the hiring pool it is important to consider a few things first. Maintain a positive workplace, whether you’re working as an employee, running your own business, or managing a business for another.

A positive working environment will influence: 

• Satisfaction of employees and clients
• Faster work rates and productivity
• Higher work quality
• Greater employee retention

Those who have a negative attitude towards their work, brand, colleagues or simply display an attitude that does not match the personality required to get the job done in your particular industry are disconnected from the business; they will produce a much lower quality of work and are less likely to remain within the business. High employee turnover is very costly to a business and in this case it is quite preventable.

How can an attitude within the office effect business reputation?

Whilst not all employees will have direct contact with your clients, they will more than likely have an influence over the level of care and satisfaction your clients are going to experience. It is important that an employee shows engagement and concern for the well-being of the business’s clients. A poor attitude is likely to lead to a manifestation of disengagement and disinterest toward the client which will likely have them searching elsewhere for a better and more satisfying service.

What to look out for

So, you know what you want and it’s time for planning the hiring process, what should you be looking out for that influences attitude?

In organisational psychology, attitudes are defined as an individual’s beliefs, feelings and their unique behavioural tendencies towards events, objects, groups or activities. Attitudes are generally made up of feelings an individual experiences, behaviour that is elicited in response to a particular stimuli and the the thought process or knowledge that surrounds a particular stimulus. Most traditional hiring techniques still rely on an interview in an attempt to grasp attitude, however benefits can be found in using assessment first to reduce a large candidate pool then utilising the interview in a general sense way to confirm the findings. This two-pronged approach removes the bias where applicants ‘put on a good face’ in an interview setting. 

When in the interview, find out how much the candidate knows about your business and ask if they’re aware of your business values. Having actively researched this shows they care about the business values they could potentially be representing, be sure to find out why they applied to check if their values have aligned with yours. Then present the candidate with a range of scenarios for them to consider and discuss what they would do. An individual who presents as solution-minded as opposed to problem focused is a much more desirable candidate for your business. Finally, watch their body language, do they appear interested in what you are saying? Are they interested in finding out more by asking you questions?

So, when you are next faced with the hiring process, consider what needs to be discovered in an applicant’s attitude and how it can be reliably measured before jumping to conclusions. This way you save unnecessary stress and ‘bad hire’ factors later on. Happy hiring!

Looking for a hiring assessment partner? 

Since 1994, Psych Press’ psychologists have been enhancing employers’ efforts to hire right the first time and bridge their workplace needs to a reliable means of measurement. Taking assessments and candidate management online, even with virtual interviews to save incredible amounts of time has been their next achievement, where all the benefits have been passed onto recruiters and hiring managers. To learn more about Psych Press’ ideals and processes visit their psychometric screening webpage or call 03 9670 0590 or email at info@psychpress.com.au for a confidential discussion.

Guest Article: Startup HR: Planning vs Doing by Ben

Startup HR is something that I have talked about a bit before. Today I will answer a question from a reader who works for HR in a startup company.

The question

Good Morning,

I have been reading your blogs and your Slideshares and it has been easy reading for me and is helping me along my way. I just started working for a start up tech company in Portland Oregon in May. The CFO was basically doing all HR work until now. I am now THE HR department. I am new and I have never had a role in HR before. I was wondering if there was a way to guide me in implementing HR stuff over the next year. What I should be doing in this next month, three months, six months, and so forth.

Please help!

The answer

First of all, have you seen the guide to building an HR department?

I think that will be incredibly valuable for you. It’s really tough to say what you should be doing at specific date-based milestones, because there’s no telling what the business will look like at each of those 6, 12, 18 month marks.

The big picture is understanding what sort of HR needs the business and staff have at each stage of the game and planning ahead to make sure you can hit those targets when the appropriate time comes. For instance, at some point you’ll need to start thinking about performance reviews for staff or maybe you’ll have to find a good applicant tracking system if you guys are hiring. Knowing some of those items on the horizon is how you show the best value for the business. Especially when you’re doing startup HR for a technology company, it’s important to keep those overall business needs in mind, because they can change rapidly.

Thanks for reaching out!

Ben

Do you have a suggestion for the reader? Feel free to share! Also, if you have questions, shoot them over to ben AT upstarthr.com and I’d be happy to try to fit them into the schedule. Thanks!

The post Startup HR: Planning vs Doing appeared first on upstartHR.

Article source:Ben - Startup HR: Planning vs Doing»



Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: A call to recruitment industry women to speak by Ross Clennett

The RCSA International Conference 2014 was a resounding success. The conference was sold out, the speakers were varied and educational, the social events were a lot of fun and the host city, Queenstown, New Zealand was simply spectacular. The only dampener on the whole event can be seen from the following summary that I presented to the conference audience before my keynote

Article source:Ross Clennett - A call to recruitment industry women to speak»



Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

3 ways to reinvigorate your workplace innovation

 

Are you bored in your current role? Stuck in the same repetitive, draining loop of everyday mundane working tasks? Not being able to look past the operational can be a real road block to creativity whether it be in leading others or in making your offering more competitive. We have put together 4 tips to help you foster innovation and ‘think outside the box’ to bring some colour back into your life and others in the workplace.

1) Tackle fear head-on

Two major fear-related aspects holding people back in the workplace regarding innovation are difficulties in trusting others and hesitating to make a decision after mistakes are made. Firstly, in the workplace, it is vital that you are part of a team that fosters idea sharing and cooperation; employee empowerment and self-confidence might just set that spark that you desperately want to see – and this cannot be achieved with an anxiety-fuelled sense of mistrust lingering at the back of your mind. Secondly, in the working environment, mistakes are daunting for anyone – the consequences can be devastating. However, understanding opportunities that arise from mistakes and ‘making the best of a bad situation’ is something that can set you apart from the rest- once you conquer your fear of failure that so many people have. Take Richard Branson for example: he has failed miserably in some of his past business ventures, yet despite setbacks he has still managed to become extremely successful through innovative ideas and strategies.

2) Consider alternative scenarios

Always ask yourself ‘what if?’ if you find yourself running out of ideas. Brainstorm by creating a mind-map. This allows you to set out your ideas in a creative fashion and also allows you to coordinate your thought-process in a way that may spark a new idea. Here is a good example mind map to get you started.

      3) Become self-actualised and excel at what you’re good at!  

Stop comparing yourself to your co-workers! So what if someone has a nice car and you don’t? Nothing is as it seems in the real-world; focus on your strengths, not your shortfalls. The more self-aware you are the more you can revel in your positive personal qualities. Adapt to your working environment based upon YOUR strengths, not other people’s, and you will soon find that your need to compare yourself to others will subsequently deteriorate (and eventually disappear).Push your strengths to the limit and maintain your creative edge. Continue to practice your newly found skills. Repetition is key!

Are you trying to identify innovative talent in your organisation? 
The ability to consistently find issues and then creatively pursue new solutions is one of the most valuable assets to a successful business. Psych Press’ Enterprize™ assessment accurately predicts the ability for employees to bring innovative solutions into the workplace. To find out more visit the Enterprize™ webpage or speak to a Psychologist on 03 9670 0590, or email info@psychpress.com.au.

5 steps to finding a job abroad

More than ever people are searching for jobs internationally in the hope of gaining knowledge and experience from around the globe. The benefits of international work experience in different cultures and environments can be huge, but following the right process will allow you to find and land the right job. We have put together 5 steps to help on start your path!


1. Research to find out where you want to work - don’t ignore the logistics!

Before considering your country of preference to work abroad, it is important to consider the visa requirements and your eligibility. It might not be so easy to get a visa for some countries, and the last thing you want is large waiting times that stop you, so start looking early!

Be aware of the cultural differences, such as working days and hours, taxation, residency, and potential difficulties presented by that country’s economic and political stability. Remember it is important to have a work-life balance, therefore it is crucial to consider how the country of choice will affect this.

Researching a foreign market is also crucial. You must understand the employment laws and language requirements.

2. Now to find that job - once again, do your research

Find out the more respected job databases in your targeted country. Look for organisations that not only are reputable and can offer you support, but that show an interest in the value of hiring internationally.

Use your networks. Finding out what you need to know about the new country and its job market is easy. You can search online or read newspaper articles of current issues or advances. However, the advice from family or friends who have first-hand experience living in that country will be the most helpful. To acquire the most accurate and clear picture of your potential fit, speak to those local to the country, in a similar role you want. Don’t underestimate the power of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Social networks are a great way to communicate to professionals working in the area to gain a feel for what you might be in for. Also, don’t forget to check with your university, college or business school’s alumni network where applicable, which should be able to provide worldwide connections and guidance.

3. Make sure your job application stands out!

Once you have finally picked the employer you want to work for, prepare an application that will set you apart from others. Look at what you can offer to the organisation, especially the skills you possess in the particular market that will make you preferable to the recruiter. Remember, there is a remarkable consistency in the basic skills that recruiters look for in candidates, even internationally! Recruiters look for candidates who present themselves as confident, strong communicators who have analytical ability; more importantly, candidates who have good customer service skills and show leadership potential. It is also important to be honest about your oral and written business language skills in the chosen country to work. Even if you can speak the language, it may not be sufficient for communicating in a business environment. So, practice, and be prepared to ask for help when needed.

Be prepared for differences in the application process across the globe, especially regarding personal information. Even if all you do to start is to connect up with someone local to use their mobile phone number or home address, you’ll be more in line with local job candidates.

4. Be prepared for your interview

After successfully securing an interview, do some more research to avoid surprises. Different countries have different standards of conducting interviews; for example, some countries prefer to be less formal than others, so be sure to investigate what is acceptable in the specific culture.

In any country, the initial interview may be conducted over the phone. For a phone interview, your confidence will need to come through without any visual cues, so make sure to hold up conversation and know what you’re talking about. Some employers may prefer to use visual cues, and therefore will use programs such as Skype or Voice Advantage to conduct the interview. If this is the case don’t forget to still dress professionally, like you would for any face-to-face interview you have had in the past. Be sure to demonstrate flexibility and the capacity to adapt to new environments.

5. Expect both time and money investment and consider the practicalities                       Finally, ensure that you are financially, emotionally, and psychologically prepared for your big move. Although you may speak the native language of the country you are going to, you will still come across differences in everyday life. You will be required to show some flexibility, patience and a bit of humour. It is important to make friends and connections, especially in a new environment. Wherever you end up, just remember to enjoy every experience and be confident! 


Have you had interesting experiences working abroad? We'd love to hear your stories and advice :)