Could You be Doing More to Promote Employee Development

Could You be Doing More to Promote Employee Development Research carried out by financial services firm the MPA Group has found that a quarter of office workers invest no time at all in professional development and learning new skills.   For some that will be a personal choice, but for many more, it will be because their company simply doesn’t give them the time or opportunity to learn. The report found that 30% of workplaces surveyed didn’t offer employees a chance to learn new skills which would help them in their professional lives, with 9% of workers saying it had been more than five years since they spent any time on career development.   With all the challenges facing businesses in the UK, it might be worth asking yourself if your organization could be offering more to its employees.   Here are just a few reasons why you need to review your employee development initiatives. Higher Levels of Engagement Giving staff development opportunities during office hours can boost levels of engagement.   People can become demoralized and ‘switch off’ if they don’t feel there’s enough variety in their day, and if they don’t feel they’re being mentally stretched.   Offering them a chance to do something outside the normal routine can have a re-energizing effect, meaning they’ll return to work with more motivation. Higher Levels of Staff Retention People these days are far more likely to ‘job hop’ than in the past, particularly younger members of the workforce.   People switch jobs for any number of reasons, but most of the time it will be because their company simply isn’t giving them enough of an incentive to stay.   If there are no signs of career progression or their engagement levels are low, staff are inevitably going to start looking elsewhere and that can lead to higher turnover rates in your organization.   If there are development opportunities then there’s also the promise that they could climb the career ladder, and that means they’ll be more inclined to stick it out. Better for In-House Recruitment Recruitment drives can be a costly and time-consuming exercise, but training staff in-house means you can probably find a suitable candidate within your existing workforce.   If a vacancy arises and there’s already a wide, in-house talent pool to choose from, then you can save yourselves a lot of hassle.   Even if they’re not quite the ‘finished article’, there’s still scope to train them on the job by offering further development opportunities. A Higher Skilled Workforce Who doesn’t want a workforce which is better skilled?   Offering people the chance to pick up new skills and learn on the job ensures you have a more agile and flexible workforce.   By diversifying their skillset, you ensure that there’s always someone who can step into a new role or cover when other team members are off sick.   If they’re trained in things beyond the usual scope of their position then that knowledge will probably come in handy at some point. Long-term Cost Efficiencies According to the MPA research, more than half of companies (52%) said a lack of budget was the main constraint when it came to up-skilling employees.   Diverting staff away from their usual work and sending them on expensive training programs was seen to be too much of a financial pressure on businesses, yet there’s some evidence that it can prove cost-effective in the longer-term.   Many businesses would qualify under the government’s Research and Development Tax Credit initiative, which could mean they’d recoup up to 33% of the money they invested into development.   As employees are often named as the number one asset a company has, it makes sense to invest in them for the long-term health of the organization. Competitive Advantage If the MPA statistics are to be believed, then by offering training opportunities you could gain a competitive advantage on every level.   If so few organizations are giving their staff the chance to develop new skills and grow professionally, then your company could start to look like a more attractive prospect to those on the outside.   It also goes without saying that if you up-skill your workforce, they will be better at what they do, be more productive and produce work of a higher standard. While there are costs to offering more professional development to employees, your organization could reap the rewards in greater levels of engagement and a happier, more productive workforce.   People like to feel they’re valued by their company and given the time, space and guidance to flourish in their working lives, so now might be a good time to think about offering them more. About the author: Lizzie Exton writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships. To browse our  graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.

Personal Branding Spotlight Tom Peters brand = talent - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Spotlight Tom Peters brand = talent - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career [youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=2nfGjVFIw1s] Tom Peters, the originator of personal branding speaks about how talent is the centerpiece in an organization. He compares sports teams with large corporations, focusing on how the brand of the company is represented by the talent or individual personal brands that comprise the company. Two of my favorite Tom Peters brand attributes are his willingness to speak his mind and how his voice carries. The definition of most of our coaches at a professional level is that they were 2nd rate or marginal players that were brilliant students of the game and leaders. Tom argues that we shouldnt promote the best accountant or marketer, but concentrate on the leaders within those business functions. What do you think? For all of you that were promoted based on being the best in your particular area, do you think it was because of your leadership or functional skills?

#ILookLikeAnEngineer Brings Awareness to Sexism in STEM Fields

#ILookLikeAnEngineer Brings Awareness to Sexism in STEM Fields Are you aware of the latest sexism debate concerning gender inequality in the STEM fields? If you’re active on social media, I’m sure you’ve seen that the hashtag #ILookLikeAnEngineer  quickly became trending  on Twitter after OneLogin began a campaign in San Francisco geared at all engineers. However,  their advertisement pictured below  featured female employee Isis Wenger  received serious backlash. In response,  Ms. Wenger took to Medium with a poignant article calling on not just women, but both genders to participate in her new #ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign. And, yes, it’s true, women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are still scraping their way up the ranks and receiving sexist push-back while it happens â€" even after major advancements over the centuries by women like Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Valentina Tereshkova, and Frances Allen. I’m sure we can all think back to earlier this summer when Sir Tim Hunt commented, “Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab. You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry.” The ensuing backlash on Twitter from scientists This comment was met with a series of #DistractinglySexy posts from scientists across the globe (some of the best are gathered here), a campaign that has gained new momentum since Ms. Wenger’s advertisement debuted. The support from women to each other, STEM companies and institutions, and male counterparts who see the blatant disparity in these fields is heartening. People  are banding together to support one another and share their stories. There has been an outpour of online support. A site aggregating photos using the #ILookLikeAnEngineer hashtag has already collected close to 40,000 photographs â€" mostly of women â€" highlighting pride and showing diversity in the engineering field.  Ms. Wenger herself has tweeted out a call for collaboration and is asking people looking to work together on this issue to email her at [emailprotected]. What about offline? Jaymini Mistry, a quality engineer in Nottingham, United Kingdom realizes that this support needs to take itself offline, too. She notes, I personally find the best way to support women in STEM  is to treat them how you would treat any male working in STEM. Actively approach women the same way you would approach men. If the way you would normally approach men at work might seem inappropriate for women, you should probably rethink your approach in general! Beyond the incidents with Mr. Hunt and Ms. Wenger, sexism in STEM fields still seems to be a pervasive issue. Sarah Cueto, a fellow Ms. Career Girl columnist who holds a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from UC Davis and currently works in the biotech industry told me, I think [this] cause is important. I think that sexism is latent in our society. I experience it at work, and its so ingrained that people dont even KNOW they are doing it. I notice it on pretty much a daily basis. How to continue the debate? It is up to us to continue the conversations that begin when these fires are sparked and to keep the energy  moving  by taking real steps  to  combat discrimination. It is easy for the flames on social media to burn bright and then extinguish almost faster than they began. Ms. Cueto says, As far as what we can do to keep the momentum goingI think that it begins with our actions. We have to speak up. Call it as we see it and voice our feelings when we witness it happening to ourselves or others. Social media has proven to be a strong platform for exposing latent sexism and other issues of discrimination. It is how we continue these movements offline that will allow for positive changes to be made and help  us  truly attain parity. Do you have a story of being discriminated as a woman in STEM? How did you deal with that? Were any changes made in your workplace to prevent future incidents from happening? Tweet to us at @MsCareerGirl.

In What Countries Do Professionals Want to Live and Work

In What Countries Do Professionals Want to Live and Work There are now over 200 million people across the globe living and working abroad, more  than double the figure 25 years ago. People’s  careers are no longer constrained by the opportunities provided in their home country  and individuals are increasingly able to move  around the world to take advantage of the  global hubs of excellence that have emerged. The fourth annual ‘global professionals on the  move’ from Hydrogen Group and ESCP Europe report is set against this background  of increasing global migration. Its aim is to  look specifically at the experience, attitudes and priorities of highly qualified, high earning  professionals with regard to working abroad  and to review the trends year on year. Most professionals are keen on relocating Since the report’s inception we have seen professionals increasingly recognise the importance of international experience. This year 92% of respondents were either currently working abroad or considering it. In addition, 66% thought that their company also viewed international experience as important or very important. Both these figures show that people understand the value of having international experience. Benefits of working abroad So, what is the value that international experience gives to an individual? This year’s results show that the prime motivators for moving abroad remain improved career opportunities, new experiences and greater earning potential and it appears that the experience lives up to expectation, both personally and professionally. 83% of those working abroad believed it had accelerated their personal development and 77% thought it had benefitted their career. Home is wherever the job takes you In fact, once individuals have made the significant decision to work abroad, they are in no hurry to return home. 86% of those who had moved away said that they wished to stay abroad and 52% said that home was wherever they were currently living or anywhere in the world. It appears that home is increasingly wherever the job takes you. Technology is being talked about much more by the wider business community,  especially in the US and UK which are seeing major investment into big data companies. It is no coincidence that these two countries were also voted the top two destinations for tech professionals in Hydrogen’s Global Professionals on the Move report this year. The best global candidates are at the forefront of this rapidly evolving trend that is having a huge impact on business as a whole. The industry is now extremely powerful and professionals are travelling overseas to capitalise on their expertise in new markets.  Dominic McNamara, Global Leader of Hydrogen Group Technology Practice Family is a barrier to relocation That said, family is still the prevailing obstacle to relocation and 45% of respondents cited family related issues as the main barrier to moving abroad. As  companies look to send an increasing amount of talent to emerging markets they may need to consider how best to incentivise people to get over this hurdle  and what support they can offer to make it easier once the move has been made. Women relocate more than men Over the last few years the report has shown a rise in the age of those moving abroad. Conversely though, women continue to relocate earlier than men. A third of  female respondents working abroad had relocated by the time they were 30, compared to only 17% of men. 70% of those working abroad between the ages  of 51 to 60 were men. In a world where demand is outstripping the supply of talent, what can be done to make sure that this talent pool of women is not overlooked? Asia attracts return-homers In the past, trends have shown a  predominance of West to East professional  migration. However the balance of global  economic power is changing and with it  new patterns are beginning to emerge.  In the quest to fill their increasing skills  gaps with home grown talent, a new  trend in global migration shows the new  Asian ‘powerhouse’ economies giving  preference to ‘return-homers’ â€" nationals  with international experience. RELATED:    What Countries Are Most Competitive in Attracting Talent?

Cure procrastination forever with temptation bundling - Debut

Cure procrastination forever with temptation bundling - Debut Hi, Im [insert name here], and I have a procrastination problem. If youve been feeling even low levels of shame about your procrastination habits, dont fret. According to author James Clear, human beings have been procrastinating for centuries! (The Greek word for procrastination just so happens to be  Akrasia.) So, technically youre continuing on  an age-old tradition or at least thats what you can tell yer ma. What if we told you you could cure procrastination forever? Youd probably be skeptical, and rightly so. There is no such thing as a cure-all you have to find something that works for you and your personality. However, there are certain tricks that have been proven to be fairly effective in improving your work ethic.  Today were looking at one of them: temptation bundling. What is temptation bundling? If youre in a rush, heres our summary. Temptation-bundling helps you do the activities you  should  do but you avoid (like the gym) with activities you love but arent necessarily productive (binge-watching your fave Netflix show.) Heres a good example: youre only allowed to listen to the new The xx  album whilst youre writing that essay youve been putting off. Who came up with temptation bundling? Katy Milkman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvanias, came up with the concept after her personal struggles with willpower. She spoke about temptation bundling  on popular podcast  Freakonomics Radio. Heres what she said: What I realized is that if I only allowed myself to watch my favorite TV shows while exercising at the gym, then I’d stop wasting time at home on useless television, and I’d start craving trips to the gym at the end of a long day because I’d want to find out what happens next in my show. And not only that, I’d actually enjoy my workout and my show more combined. I wouldn’t feel guilty watching TV, and time would fly while I was at the gym. The temptation bundling experiment Milkman ran an experiment on campus using 226 volunteer participants on campus, all with a goal of wanting to exercise more. She created a lure for these participants.  They could listen to one of four tempting audio books (one of which was  The Hunger Games).  However, they could only do so on locked iPods they can access at the gym. The other condition? They had to listen to the books while doing a 30-minute workout. This was compared to two other volunteer groups. One had the lure of  The Hunger Games, but without limited access. This group was allowed to download the audio book on their personal iPods, which they could access at any time. The third and final group acted as the control, so were given money to buy the audio book if they so choose. The groups were monitored for 9 weeks. Milkman found that the group who used temptation bundling were 29 to 51 per cent more likely to exercise in comparison with the control group. Why is temptation bundling effective?   Dwight Eisenhower (you know, 34th prez of the United States), once said: What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important. For example, putting money into your savings account is important. However, the benefits of having savings only kick in when youre much older, so it doesnt feel immediate. Therefore, you end up putting it off to do something like buy the next  Hunger Games book instead. Temptation bundling hacks this behaviour by combining the important but seemingly non-urgent tasks with the non-important but seemingly urgent ones. Pretty clever. Tell us more: We want to hear from you! Tweet us @DebutCareers with your favourite temptation-bundles. Images via Pexels, Giphy Download the Debut app and get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Testing job applicants... for sense of humor - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Testing job applicants... for sense of humor - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog In this short video Colleen Barrett, former president of Southwest Airlines, shares some of the tricky (and hilarious) ways they screen job applicants for sense of humor. Id love to see way more companies do things like this to ensure a good cultural fit for new hires. The fact is that not every person will fit into every workplace culture and there is currently way too much focus on professional skills and way too little on personality fit. The Southwest hiring mantra Hire for attitude, train for skill has served them well over the years and weve seen many other happy workplaces introduce similar approaches. British sandwich chain Pret a Manger put it like this: ?You can?t hire someone who can make sandwiches and teach them to be happy,? says Jay, ?So we hire happy people and teach them to make sandwiches?. Your take When you were hired was there any focus on cultural fit? Does your workplace generally try to hire happy people or is the focus mostly on professional skills? What mix do you prefer between professional and cultural fit when new people are hired? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Downloads Free Resume Writing Software

Downloads Free Resume Writing SoftwareHow do you go about downloading free resume writing software and placing it on your computer? Should you use this software? What benefits will it provide you?If you're shopping for these types of programs, you may be wondering if you should even use them. This article will briefly explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of using them. After reading this, you should have a good idea of whether or not you should try to use this type of software. Also, you'll hopefully be able to decide whether or not this type of software is right for you.The first advantage that comes to mind when discussing this software is that it's a good thing to have on hand. However, I understand that not everyone feels this way. After all, not everyone is familiar with the cost involved in this type of software. Here's why I feel this way:First, since everyone has a computer, anyone can download free resume writing software, which will give you a head start and hel p you build up your resume on your own. You can pick up the software right away and put it on your computer. It will work for both the short term and long term.Second, it's not like you need to be tech savvy to get good from using free software. You just need to learn what you need to do, what templates you need to use, and a lot of other basic tasks. Since most things are set up so that you're able to do this on your own, you can spend more time on the things that matter.Third, using this type of software will help you write a great resume. A lot of people believe that hiring managers are looking for someone who can write a really well-written resume. If you have a decent resume already, then you can get the job!Fourth, as you can see by these four reasons, there are many reasons to use this type of software. You can learn a lot about your career and how you should be doing things, without having to pay a dime. This means that there are many different advantages. No, this doesn't m ean that this software is right for everyone, but rather, it means that it will work for you.As you can see, using a free resume writing software to write your resume is a great idea. Most people don't realize that it can be done by anyone. But if you don't have any money to spend, then I recommend you try using this type of software!