7 Ways Flexibility Can Help Create an Age-Friendly Working Environment

7 Ways Flexibility Can Help Create an Age-Friendly Working Environment With A-Level and GCSE results out this month, and university students graduating this summer, a new pool of talent will be entering the workforce. How can employers look to successfully attract and retain this new generation? Having previously written about Generation Z’s expectations of the working world one of the key themes we are continuing to see is a desire to move away from the traditional 9 to 5 office hours. However, rather than just focussing on young people’s desire for more flexibility, it makes sense to consider how to create a more inclusive, flexible culture which suits everyone’s lifestyle and working needs, whatever their age; and which will also achieve greater opportunities and benefits for the business. 1. A blended approach to work and play As new generations enter the workforce, we are seeing a shift in the way people want to work. Rather than having set work and play time, younger employees are looking to blend the two throughout the day. For example, working later into the evening and taking a longer lunch break to go to the gym. It’s not just younger generations attracted by flexibility in the workplace. A survey by Investors in People showed that a third (34%) of employees would prefer a flexible approach to working hours than a 3% pay rise. Flexibility can help families manage their households and support both parents to successfully progress their careers. People with care responsibilities may appreciate being able to plan their day around challenging home-life demands. And, with the number of people working over the age of 65 having more than doubled, flexibility can appeal to those who are considering a phased retirement. 2. Lateral thinking and fluid working practices Since 2014, employees in the UK have had a legal right to request flexible working, provided they can prove a business case that works for both parties. It’s important to remember that flexible working practices can be created in many different forms. We are seeing more employers using lateral thinking and creativity to introduce more fluid working practices and to remove any inadvertent barriers to flexible working. Engage in open and honest conversations with employees about how they are looking to strike a balance between work and play, and look for solutions which suit everyone. It could be a mixture of flexitime and extended working hours, through to compressed working hours and the opportunity to be able to work from home as well as in the office. 3. The business benefits Employers who embrace flexible working are more able to attract and retain a diverse pool of talent. The Aviva Working Lives 2017 report revealed that almost two in three (64%) employees would be more likely to stay with an employer who offered flexible working. Flexibility can also bring additional business benefits, for example BT found that productivity increased by 30% when employees were able to work flexibly and Unison reported that providing flexible working reduced sickness absence from 12% to 2%. It can also improve client relationships as employees who can work from anywhere, and at any time, can be quicker at responding. Businesses can also use it as an opportunity to consider extending working hours, and creating flexible shift patterns within these, increasing the times in which customers can engage with the organisation. 4. Flexibility doesn’t suit everyone Flexible working will suit some organisations more than others and won’t appeal to every employee. Employees will have different motivations and ideas of work-life balance. For some, keeping work within the office, and conventional working hours, means they know they can switch off once they’ve left the office. Others, particularly younger generations, don’t want a solid barrier between office and leisure time. Managing the different expectations of employees is the challenge faced by organisations. So how can employers look to create the right balance? 5. A change in culture The overall aim should be on developing a company culture which is focussed on results and outcomes and not the amount of time spent in the office. Employers will need to challenge any persisting cultures of presenteeism and negative stereotypes associated with flexible working. Employees need to be confident that they won’t be judged or have their progression opportunities hindered if they adopt a more flexible approach. Generation Z in particular is focussed on working smartly, rather than working long hours. But will be quickly disengaged if faced with a rolling of the eyes every time they get up to leave their desks earlier than others. 6. Performance monitoring It can also help to ensure that the right culture flows from the top-level down if leaders and managers are given training to understand how to fairly assess the contributions and performance of flexible workers. Companies such as Netflix and Virgin, famed for leading the way in adopting flexible working practices, have evolved their performance monitoring to suit this different style of working. With time not being tracked, managers are checking in with their employees on a more regular basis to help keep tabs on whether objectives are being met on time and to standard. 7. Flexible technology Finally, the flexible working opportunities available will automatically increase if the right technology is in place. Generation Z are already running their lives through a smart phone and communicating within a digital world. Harness these skills and involve younger employees in the IT and marketing strategy. Get them involved in engaging people across the organisation to understand the technology available to them and the flexible opportunities it can provide.

The Fall of 9-5 Work Days and the Rise of ROWE - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Fall of 9-5 Work Days and the Rise of ROWE - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, which is long overdue.   These two are some of my personal favorites because they believe in a virtual workplace, freedom and logical reasoning.   Why work 9-5, when you can achieve the same results working when you want to work.   All that really matters in business is that you get the job done on time.   Successful employees will get the job done before the due date and at a higher quality.   Cali and Jody are authors, consultants, speakers and Twitter users. Cali and Jody, what exactly is ROWE for people whove never heard of that acronym? Why is it relevant to todays workplace and not that of the past? ROWE stands for Results-Only Work Environment. It’s an environment where each person is free to do whatever they want whenever they want â€" as long as they get the work done. Today’s workplace was built on the foundation of a myth: Time + physical presence = results. There was indeed a time when the forty-hour workweek served a good purpose, and physical presence was the only way to get work done. Somehow, though, the forty-hour workweek and physical presence morphed into the gold standard for competency, efficiency, and effectiveness. In an information and service economy, it simply doesn’t make sense to use time or physical presence as measurements for a job well-done. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THe7ItckwpU] Today, the majority of the work done in office environments is knowledge work. Technology has advanced to the point where we don’t, by an means, need to be sitting in a cubicle or in an office building to get our work done. It comes down to this: Your company is providing you with a paycheck and possibly other benefits. They’re giving you a job and, in some cases, a path to a career. For that you absolutely, positively owe them hard work, focus, and dedication. More important, you owe them real, measurable results. You owe them your work; you do not owe them your time. You do not owe them your life. You preach about employee freedom a lot, but some old-school people Ive talked to are against it because they dont trust their workers. Have you heard any of these negative storys? Tell us how Best Buy was able to embrace ROWE from a leadership perspective. We’ve heard many, many “old school” stories. The unwritten rule in offices today is that you “earn” freedom by putting in your time. If you’ve been with the company for 20 years, have risen up the ranks and put in your fair share of late nights and weekends, you get more freedom than others. In the traditional office environment, freedom is a privilege, not a right. It can be taken away at the whim of management â€" if business calls for all hands on deck, bye-bye freedom (as if you don’t know, in a business-critical situation, what you should do). With trust in a ROWE, freedom over you spend your time is just the way it is â€" all the time. It can never be taken away because it’s the foundation for a ROWE culture. In a large company like Best Buy, it was important that we not try to get buy-in for ROWE from the collective leadership team. At the beginning of our journey, we found two leaders (Sr. Vice-Presidents) that were open to hearing how ROWE could help them improve their departments’ productivity and retention. We moved team to team for a couple years, experimenting with the ROWE philosophy and perfecting the process. After about 40% of the population was ROWE (about 1500 people), the CEO and other top leaders were hearing more about what was happening. At that point, ROWE teams were seeing significant increases in productivity and retention, so there was no going back. That data speaks for itself: ROWE teams see an average productivity increase of 41% and a decrease of as much as 90% in voluntary turnover rates. Once the data is there for your company, leaders can’t argue with it. “At its heart ROWE is a chance for everyone to learn a better way to work. There is nothing fancy about this idea, and there is no reason why it can’t work everywhere. The approach lets people do what they’re good at instead of what you think they should be good at. It encourages people to contribute rather than just show up and grind out their days.” Brad Anderson, CEO, Best Buy Which generation cares the most about workplace freedom and why will companys have to appease them in order to survive in the future (Gen-Y/X/Baby Boomers)? Here’s a secret: Every generation cares about workplace freedom. The difference is whether they feel people deserve it. Let’s take them one at a time: Boomers: They want workplace freedom in a bad way, but most of them won’t say that out loud. They’ve given their lives over to work and they’ve (admittedly) missed out on a lot of happiness because they were being slaves to the clock. Because of their beliefs about the way work needs to happen, however, ROWE rubs many of them the wrong way. They don’t think those Gen Y whippersnappers should get freedom right out of the starting gate â€" they need to put in their time first. No pain, no gain. Gen X: They’re exhausted. They grew up watching their parents work themselves to the bone and swore they’d never do the same thing. And here they are, trying to put in their time at work, while managing a household of their own â€" and, many of them, caring for their parents, too. They can taste workplace freedom â€" and they want it now. Gen Y: They’ve lived a free life. They’ve had the world at their fingertips and know how to build and foster relationships without ever seeing people face-to-face. They not only care about workplace freedom â€" it’s what they expect because it’s all they know. To them, it’s not a privilege â€" it’s a right. In the end, companies will need to implement ROWE to appease all generations. Boomers won’t be “retiring” â€" they want to continue working, but not in the same capacity as they have for the last 40 years. Companies can utilize ROWE as a business strategy for retaining that knowledge. Gen X has a lot more to give, but they want to give it on their terms. With ROWE, companies can get 41% more productivity from the same workforce. Gen X is being throttled by the way the work environment is operating â€" ROWE will solve that. When it comes to Gen Y, ROWE is the answer to recruiting them into your company in the first place. Soon, their question when they interview with prospective employers will be “Are you ROWE?” Smart companies will be able to say “yes” and that’s where the talent will go. What are some steps that companys can use (in your ROWE Launch Kit) to start creating a ROWE environment? If you’re a manager in an office environment and you want to implement ROWE, the ROWE Launch Kit is for you. Inside, you’ll find the elements you need to bring your team or department through the ROWE migration process. Because ROWE requires people to shed their old beliefs about work and take on a completely new way of operating (as individuals and as a team), there are finely tuned sessions and activities that need to be paced correctly in order to make the change happen successfully. The Kit contains a facilitator’s guide, DVDs, games and activities, and a copy of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It. It can be found at www.culturerx.com. If you’re an individual contributor and you want to bring ROWE into your company, find one leader that is progressive and ready to take on the challenge of ROWE. Trying to get more than one leader on board will be a slow, painstaking process â€" one leader is all you need. There are free downloads at www.culturerx.com (including the ROWE business case) that will help you with your conversations with the leader that you select. Once they give the green light for a ROWE pilot, the ROWE Launch Kit has what you need. Lets tie this all back to the individual, personal brand. How does each employee or perspective employee benefit from ROWE and how might technology enable a virtual workplace that supports ROWE? Each employee has the opportunity to bring their full self to their work and contribute in the most meaningful way possible. ROWE opens the door for each employee to be in the driver’s seat â€" in their life and in their work. There’s nothing more powerful than that â€" and nothing more fulfilling. Employers benefit from ROWE in many ways, but we’ll pick three to touch on: Increased productivity â€" the key here is that employers don’t need to add headcount to increase output, as the common belief states. The employees you have are able to output more…but you need to unshackle them first and let them thrive in a ROWE. Increased ability to attract and retain â€" ROWE is like a magnet. People are looking for more than what traditional flexibility programs offer â€" they know ROWE is the new game and they won’t settle for less. Top talent will demand it, and once they’re in your company, they won’t want to leave. We have several examples of ROWE employees declining promotions for more compensation to stay in a ROWE. Now that’s retention. Innovation thrives â€" no one can have really, really great ideas when they’re playing by someone else’s rules. Especially rules that don’t make sense. In a ROWE, everyone starts to operate like they are the CEO of the company â€" like they have a big stake in the game. They become true owner-operators. Every business is trying to infuse that kind of thinking into their population â€" and ROWE does it naturally. Technology is wonderful. It gives us the ability to work anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, we can’t utilize technology to its fullest potential when we’re still operating under rules from the Industrial Age. We can have all the technology we want at our fingertips, but if the rule says “You need to be in your cube from 8:00 to 5:00 every day” (and you need a really good socially acceptable excuse â€" like going to the doctor â€" to not be), technology doesn’t do us any good. Time to make ROWE the status quo. Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson are the Founders of CultureRx and creators of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). Their first book, WHY WORK SUCKS AND HOW TO FIX IT, will be released June 2008 by Portfolio, a Penguin imprint. They have been featured on the cover of BusinessWeek, as well as in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, HR Magazine cover story, and on 60 Minutes and National Public Radio. Ms. Ressler and Ms. Thompson are also nationally recognized keynote speakers and have presented to numerous Fortune 500 companies and prominent trade associations. Prior to founding CultureRx, they worked at Best Buy and led the corporate headquarters into a Results-Only Work Environment.

What does your body language say at interview

What does your body language say at interview You’ve practised for the on-line numeracy and verbal reasoning tests. You’ve researched your target employer in depth, both from its website and wider media. Your academic grades are great. You can demonstrate work experience and on campus involvement. There can’t be anything else to worry about can there? Oh yes. Body language! Here are some hints to hit the right tone with this too. Employers read body language as carefully as your application. From the moment that you step through their doors for an assessment centre you need to be giving the right signals. This can be tricky. There are cultural differences in expectation which might vary from one country to another. If you’re applying for a job in the UK, it’s good to understand how your movements are perceived here. A huge amount has been written about body language. You might find some useful information  here or watch Amy Cuddy delivering a TED talk on the subject. While you need to be aware of what your body might be “saying” you shouldnt  get obsessed by your movements. Here are a few tips. 1.  Smile This sounds really obvious but sometimes when we’re nervous our smiles inexplicably disappear. From the moment you announce your arrival at reception, make sure that you’re smiling and that you make eye contact on meeting people. Employers are looking to hire those who will be able to work in teams and quite possibly charm clients. If you’re perceived as unsmiling or unfriendly, it’s going to create a negative impression. Offer the same cheerful greeting to everyone you meet, don’t reserve courtesy just for the person you think may be taking the decisions. You don’t know who else may be asked for feedback on your behaviour. 2.  Keep your hands under control Make sure that your hand movements are under control. I use my hands to talk. Watch a few minutes of this interview of me offering interview training and you’ll see what I mean. Are my hand movements distracting? Possibly! You’ll notice though, that I am not touching my face. When I move my hands my gestures are open. If you put your hands on your face, you risk covering your mouth. People can’t hear clearly what you’re saying and you communicate a lack of confidence. Make sure you know what you’re likely to do with your hands. If you’re not sure ask friends and family members what your hand movements are like. In the interview or assessment centre keep checking what’s going on with those hands! 3.  Good posture makes you look confident Your posture is important. Make sure that when you stand and walk, you hold yourself erect. Don’t slouch back into a chair when youre seated. Watch the body language of those around you. If someone advances towards you with hand outstretched then respond by offering your hand to shake. Don’t just touch the proffered hand. Grip itâ€" ideally without crushing all the bones in it! if you are not confident about your handshake then practise it. (If you dont shake hands for religious reasons then explain this with a smile.) Think about your arms too. When we lack confidence we tend to cross our arms. It’s an age old urge to protect our bodies. Try not to do this. You might find this a challenge. I do! Find something else to do with your arms. Perhaps you could accept a drink, you can’t really hold a cup of coffee and cross your arms. 4.  Keep up the eye contact. Eye contact is going to be important throughout an assessment centre or interview. While its probably fairly obvious that you need to make eye contact when youre talking directly to someone, it also matters when you are giving a presentation. You need to include everyone listing to you. Move your eyes around the group and engage people by looking directly at them. Similarly in a panel interview or group exercise don’t just look at the person who asked the question, or who spoke last, move your eyes around to look directly at others in the room too. If you find eye contact really difficult because youre shy, you need to practise this. If you struggle with it because you have an autistic spectrum disorder then you will have to decide whether you want to disclose your condition. Talk to your careers service about how to proceed. Employers have obligations not to distinguish against you on grounds of disability. If you explain your problems then proper allowance can be made. Keep all this in mind when your practice for an interview, perhaps get some friends to comment on your body language in advance. On the day, try not to think about it and concentrate on enjoying yourself. After all, we all like attention and youll be  getting lots of it! If you relish the opportunity to shine,  the chances are that your body language will show this. Youll engage the recruiters for all the right reasons.

5 of the Most Creative CVs - Ever

5 of the Most Creative CVs - Ever CV on a Milk Carton? Yeah, why not! In the current job market, you can’t afford to blend in. Most graduate positions receive a couple of hundred applications, so if you don’t stand out, it’s most likely that you won’t get the job â€" especially for more creative vacancies. Now, it’s easy enough to come up with brilliant questions and wear something other than a plain suit to an interview, but first you need to get there. That’s where your CV comes in. Having a striking CV is now essential for any kind of creative job â€" and that doesn’t just mean content. Unfortunately, in a crowded job market with more graduates out of work than ever before, it’s no longer enough to have the qualifications â€" to make it through the front door you need to show off your presentation skills, too. Anyone can claim they’re ‘creative’ or list their skills, but if you design your CV to reflect your distinct skills and personality, it can make you stand out against the crowd, and really show that you’re invested in having a creative career. To inspire you and make you reconsider that Times New Roman font, here are the five most creative CVs that have ever landed on a CEO’s desk. The Movie Poster Joe Kelso designed a stand-out CV in the style of a  horror movie poster. With a catchy title and simple, bold layout, all this lists is skills, experience and degree. Although the content is basic, it’s such an intriguing design that employers wanted to find out more about who was behind such an individual resume â€" and Joe reckons that he’s had an interview from every place he’s sent it out to. The Milk Carton Nothing makes a CV stand out more than if it’s 3D â€"  flat paper is for people who think inside the box. One man made his CV into a missing person style  milk carton, complete with personal brand logo, expertise ‘Ingredients’ and general skill ‘Nutrition.’ Although this probably contains less wordy information than a conventional CV, Miguel Rato’s skills were pretty darn evident from the design, and you can guarantee he got an interview for pure originality. The Infographic Social media strategist Hagan Blount decided to include everything from quantified facts to his full employment history with company logos on his impeccably designed  infographic style CV. With even more information than a regular CV would contain, he even worked in quotes from people praising him and QR codes linking to examples of his work. He now has a sideline business designing inforgraphic CVs for other job seekers. The Pixar CV There’s a 3D CV, and then there’s this. Brian Moose created a  completely unique resume  to submit for his dream job at Pixar, consisting of an illustrated, annotated notebook, inside a film reel, inside a leather-bound album. Complex, yes, but it showcased his skills and aptitude for the job in a way no conventional paper CV ever could have. The Website Loren Burton  decided to scrap the paper resume idea completely, and go digital for his creative CV for Airbnb. With a stunning design, he managed to show off his coding and designing skills to full effect, as well as a link to his social media profiles. Have these creative CVs reinvigorated your passion for designing your own resume? Then why not check out one of Career Geek’s guides to  writing your first CV. What steps are you taking to make your CV creative? Share your thoughts in the comments. Do you have a creative CV or thinking of making one after reading this article? Hola us in the comment and we would love to follow up!

How to Describe Freelance Writing Process on Resume?

How to Describe Freelance Writing Process on Resume?If you are hoping to increase your chances of getting a job when applying for it, then knowing how to describe freelance writing process on resume is one of the most important things that you need to master. You need to be able to come up with a good description of this process so that it will catch the attention of the hiring manager.One way to describe freelance writing process on resume is to use the following lines: 'My experience in writing freelance articles was very fulfilling and I was proud to share this success story with other potential employers and clients.Another way to describe freelance writing process on resume is to write about the different areas of expertise that you have such as writing English composition, ad copy, product reviews, copywriting, freelance articles, internet marketing and blogging. Also, mention the sources from where you got your skills and your overall expertise in these areas.This is the best way to describe freelance writing process on resume and it will definitely impress the hiring manager. You need to emphasize on these three areas so that the hiring manager will see that you have many skills to offer.But, if you want to be sure that the hiring manager will see your strengths more, you need to develop a plan to create a platform that will give you more visibility and exposure. You can take the services of a professional writer who has the experience and expertise in writing cover letters. There are professionals who specialize in drafting freelance resumes and professional letter templates.Once you have completed your website, then you can then begin to describe your skills and talents in your freelance writing on resume. This is how to describe freelance writing process on resume effectively. It is a very effective method that you can use to impress the hiring manager.You need to set goals for yourself, state your work objectives and include the company's objectives as well. Also, you need to make sure that you are able to clearly identify your interests, passion and skills that you have as a freelancer.All these details are needed to come up with a good and concise way of how to describe freelance writing process on resume. A thorough writing on resume will help you land the job.

Desperately Looking for Work - CareerAlley

Desperately Looking for Work - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. For those of us who are temporarily retired (okay, the U word unemployed), there comes a point in time where if youve not found full time employment in your field you need to start thinking about other alternatives. Whether this decision is driven by the need to do get out of the house and do something or driven by financial needs (or both), there are options that you can consider. Back in October I wrote an article about consulting as a career change (Have you thought about consulting?), what was not covered in the article was consulting on a contract or temporary basis while looking for full time work. This option satisfies several objectives: You stay current and in the work enviornment Potential employers will not ask what youve been doing if youve been out of work for an extended period Many contract consulting roles can be leveraged into full time employment You expand your network of potential job opportunity sources You are earning some income (and even a very low hourly rate is more than zero) The downside is that you have less time to look for a job if you are working, but I believe that the benefits outweigh the downside. Todays article will review some links to contract consulting resources to get you started. LimeExchange This site is a meeting place (for lack of a better term) for companies looking for contract consultants (or freelancers) and professionals looking for contract work. The site is structured to cover several functions and has several tabs at the top which are there to service these functions. Click on the Get Work tab to get started. This particular site is focused on Technology, Writing, Graphic Arts and Audio/Video. You start by posting your profile. The site shows the steps to accomplish contract work (post profile, search for projects, bid, get awarded and get paid). GoFreelance GoFreelance is a Work Exchange site. There are several tabs at the top of the main page Join, Post Jobs, Search, Articles and more. The Articles tab is a good place to start as it provides background articles that will help you get started. You can search for jobs based on keywords or browse based on category (such as Data Entry). Freelancers Union -This site is dedicated to freelancers and provides a number of resources (such as benefits and discounts). The site also provides seminars on related topics. Clicking on Gigs (find people who need people) lists the most recent postings and the page also offers more specific search criteria. There is a forum, Yellow Pages, a Blog and more. Robert Half International RHI is a consulting and staffing firm. The benefit of signing on as a consultant is that all of the leg work (as is required with the first three sites mentioned) is taken care of for you. RHI provides this through their Robert Half Management Resources division. They specialize in Finance, Treasury, Accounting, Operations, IT and more. Start by clicking on the link, click on your country, read through the About Us and then click on Jobs to see current project and interim opportunities. You can register on the site similar to other recruiters. Good luck in your search. 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 identify and land your dream job. 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

4 Ways To Increase Your LinkedIn Connections

4 Ways To Increase Your LinkedIn Connections 4 Ways To Increase Your LinkedIn Connections Job Search / LinkedIn Profiles / Networking LinkedIn connections are valuable for several reasons. Building your connections expands your network. Having a larger network means you have more 2nd degree connections which gives you the opportunity to view a lot more profiles. And maybe more importantly, it allows a lot more people to view your profile as well. For example, potential employers who might want to learn more about you. Another reason to increase your number of connections is perception. If you work in sales, marketing, or public relations, for example, potential employers will be looking at the size of your network. If you have 154 connections on LinkedIn they may wonder how much of a network you actually have. So how can you build your LinkedIn network? #1 Fellow Alumni Because you have common ground, fellow alumni are likely to connect with you. You can find former college and university classmates by searching “People who studied at ABC University” on LinkedIn. Attending alumni events are a great way to take those new connections to the next level. #2 Former/Current Colleagues Another way to boost your LinkedIn network is by connecting with previous colleagues. Search for “People who work at ABC Company” then filter through the company’s list of employees to find former co-workers. Personalize your connection request by mentioning when you worked together. #3 Open Networkers Conduct a people search with the keywords “open networker” or “LION,” these are LinkedIn Open Networkers who are eager to accept connection requests. These people often have large networks which will offer you many 2nd degree connections. #4 LinkedIn Groups Another way to meet people on LinkedIn is to join and participate in Groups. There are groups for jobseekers where you can find support and advice. There are many, likely hundreds, of industry groups. Joining groups and regularly participating in the conversations is a great way to make connections. Having a robust, optimized LinkedIn profile is an essential tool in your job search. But, even the best profile needs constant work. You need to regularly post updates to keep your profile active. You need to continually build your connections. LinkedIn is a tool. Like any tool it’s only as effective as the person using it. Make sure you’re using it to your best advantage.