#CareerAdvice : The Future of Work- Four #JobSkills the #HRLeaders of the Future will Need…It’s Time For the Oft-Maligned #HumanResources Function to Kick Old Habits & Drive Businesses Forward. That will Take HR Leaders with Broader Skill Sets.

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How would you characterize your past employers’ HR departments? Chances are terms like “administrative,” “reactive,” “transactional,” or less-flattering terms come to mind.

Human resources originally evolved out of a personnel-based function rooted in administrative and compliance-driven tasks that historically haven’t been perceived as adding value to organizations in the same way that sales, marketing, or engineering do. And if you dissect old-school HR teams, you’ll find many practitioners who’ve spent most of their careers in the field; career paths have tended to be linear, rising from coordinator to manager, ultimately all the way up to the top chief human resources officer (CHRO). This career path meant the function was rarely infused with perspectives and practices from outside the field, and often led to insular ideas on what it means for an HR professional to support the business.

Related: What would an HR department that worked for employees actually look like?

Times are changing. According to a recent reportissued by HR Open Source (HROS), the community platform for HR professionals that I cofounded, 68% of current HR professionals have worked in fields outside of human resources. Inevitably, they’re steadily cross-pollinating the HR function with new skills and ideas that organizations should be all too eager to embrace. Still, modern HR requires more than a semantic shift from “human resources” to “people operations.” It requires broader capabilities and job skills than have typically been demanded of HR professionals in the past–allowing them to tackle critical issues ranging from sexual harassment to emerging recruiting technologies, not to mention a business and industry acumen to rival their executive peers.

With those needs in mind, here are a few big-ticket skills that HR leaders will need in order to adapt to the future of work.

Related: What is HR doing to make sure there aren’t more #MeToo moments?

1. LEARNING AGILITY

According to HR tech analyst William Tincup, there are over 24,000 HR software tools on the market today, with recent estimates valuing the market at some $400 billion. Artificial intelligence, bots, blockchain, automation, and technologies are rapidly transforming the HR technology ecosystem. But that’s no guarantee they’ll all be adopted, let alone implemented properly. Indeed, separating hype from substance and finding effective ways to harness emerging technologies in order to execute an effective people strategy is now a vital skill. This is particularly true in small to mid-size organizations where HR leaders often run lean teams without dedicated HR analysts to advise them.

So if you’re planning a career in HR or looking to hire human resources professionals who can lead your organization into the future, fluency with technology and the ability to learn about new tools and practices should be a top priority.

 

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2. CREATIVITY

Something transformative seems to have happened over the last decade or so. As the field of “employer branding” matured, HR added a rarely used term to describe itself: “creative.” HR is now on the front lines of most company’s branding efforts, telling stories and shaping prospective hires’ perceptions of what it’s like to work in your organization. That’s pushing HR professionals to coordinate with marketing teams, making sure the organization’s people narratives support and align with its consumer branding. As a result, modern HR leaders need to think much more creatively than their predecessors. They should understand social media and digital engagement as well as the types of compelling and authentic messages to attract the right talent.

Related: 4 emotionally intelligent HR policies employees may suffer without

3. BUSINESS AND DATA ACUMEN

While hardly a new skill set for HR executives, the complexity of modern business and the expectation that HR leaders will be trusted advisers to the CEO make deeper business and operational knowledge all the more critical. Effective HR leaders now need a strong grasp of their organizations’ business model and market strategy, industry dynamics and competitive landscape, and how all those components impact human capital–from hiring and performance to diversity and inclusion. What’s more, HR leaders will need to develop adaptable people strategies that can evolve with the business.

So it’s no surprise that one of the most significant shifts in the field over recent years is the focus on data. In the recent HROS report, “people analytics” was the field with the highest increase in expected impact (22%) among HR professionals, 48% of whom said their organizations planned to invest in people-analytics software over the next three years. This means that modern HR leaders have growing access to enormous amounts of data on recruitment, retention, performance, productivity, employee satisfaction, and more. How they gather, evaluate, and ultimately interpret that data to drive their strategy is what’s really important.

4. STORYTELLING

Any effective leader who represents and manages employees needs great communication skills, and HR leaders are no exception. But skill with narratives that can influence and engage people–both inside and outside the organization–will be even more vital in the future. As human resources becomes an ever more public-facing function, HR leaders will need to be able to articulate an organization’s value propositions as an employer, not just as a company that sells a product or service. And being able to connect with a broad range of audiences through compelling stories is key. It’s what inspires people to rally behind a company’s mission and purpose–and, ultimately, decide to apply to jobs there and stick around once hired.

This list of emerging job skills for HR leaders is far from comprehensive. Empathy, compassion, emotional intelligence, knowledge of diversity and inclusion issues, coaching, and more are all vital elements of HR’s expanding role. Which traits might be more critical than others may depend on the leader, the company, and its culture. Still, a broad skill set is vital–not just to bring HR out of the back-of-house position where it’s long languished, but to bring entire companies forward into the future, too.

Lars Schmidt is the founder of AMPLIFY//, a recruiting and branding agency that helps companies like Hootsuite, NPR, and SpaceX reimagine the intersection of culture, talent, and brand. He’s also the cofounder of the HR Open Source initiative.

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FastCompany.com | July 24, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – Why Most Hiring Managers Can’t Just “Take A Chance On You” …Are you Considering a #CareerChange ? We feel for you! This will Help & Get your Head Together.

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It can be tough to realize that the role or field you’ve dedicated years of your life to isn’t working out. So tough that you start wondering how you’ll ever make a change and maybe even develop the discouraging sense that you can’t make the change yourself — that if you’re going to have any chance at all, it’s up to someone else to give you a lucky break.

If you find yourself feeling insecure about your prospects for a new job and starting to think you need a hiring manager or recruiter to “take a chance on you,” it’s time to check your attitude. Wanting a lucky break might seem like an innocent enough idea, but in reality, it does a great disservice to you, your prospective employer and your job hunt. Here’s why:

Where Does This Idea Come From?

The origin of this idea could be that grandparent’s story we’ve all heard about showing up in the office and being so persistent that, despite a lack of work experience and a naive approach to business, they got the job. Another source might be the despair that comes with a career change —  we doubt ourselves, our decisions and our ability to do something new, so we put the pressure on someone else to make it happen.

How to Change Careers: 5 Steps to a Successful Career Change

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Why Is This Idea Unhealthy?

First, this attitude dismisses all of your skills and qualifications and removes your power from the situation. Instead of being a smart, talented candidate, you’re acting as if you’re unqualified, desperate and in need of a favor. Not only is that a damaging way to think about your own career, but — outside of a lot of pressure from mutual connections — no hiring manager in their right mind would consider you a front-runner for the job.

Second, and most important to your case, this attitude kicks off a professional relationship by expecting someone else to put their necks on the line for you. It sets up hiring managers as cruel gatekeepers to your dreams who just need to have mercy on you; and if they don’t, it’s not your fault — they’re just mean.

In reality, hiring managers are honest people trying to do their jobs. When they read your resume, they’re thinking, “Does it make sense for me to hire this person for this job?” and “Am I reasonably certain they can perform this job with the regular amount of training?” If the answer isn’t an obvious yes, they could get in trouble for hiring you, and it could have serious consequences for them!

Wherever we get the idea that “we just need someone to give us a chance,” it’s important to understand that job-hunting has changed over the past 10 years. It’s no longer difficult for employers to find candidates with bachelor’s degrees and industry intern experience, so they rarely need to resort to hiring an unknown entity or sit poring over a resume trying to figure out how your skills can work for them. 

What Should You Think About Instead?

Remove the idea of getting a lucky break or a once-in-a-lifetime chance from your mind. Turn your attention towards things that you actually have control over: a compelling cover letter that explains the passion and careful thought behind your career change and a resume highlighting the transferable skills that make you a good fit for the job you want. Make it your goal to show hiring managers and recruiters that they aren’t taking a chance on you; they’re making a hiring decision that will bring new insights, skills and talents to the role they’re looking to fill.

5 Ways to Compensate for Not Having Enough Experience

When you find yourself standing at the beginning of a career change journey, it’s natural to feel intimidated. But keep in mind that you’re not alone. While this might be your first career change, others have gone before you and made the leap with great success and still more have made significant pivots in their career that add up to big changes, too. Surround yourself with a support network, tap into the resources here on Glassdoor, and take a chance on yourself!

 

GlassDoor.com | May 3, 2018 | Posted by Sarah Greesonbach

#CareerAdvice : Include These Things in your #Resume to Get the #Recruiter’s Attention…Don’t Give Them a Reason to Say No. Instead, Wow Them with Reasons to Advance your Application.

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Did you know that–on average–recruiters and hiring managers spend only seven seconds reading your resume before signing you up for an interview–or tossing that precious piece of paper in the trash?

That’s not a lot of time to impress a potential employer. But the slush pile doesn’t have to be your job-search fate. Dawn Rasmussen, certified resume writer and founder of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, along with Glassdoor’s own tips from its Ultimate Guide to Resumes, will help you craft a resume that’ll grab a recruiter’s attention.

1. CLEAR AND CONCISE FORMATTING

You may think that adding graphics or other infographic elements will make your resume stand out. But before your resume makes it to a recruiter, it will most likely have to pass through a computer scanning program, and those fancy shapes and symbols can confuse a computer. “If you’re sending your resume as an online submission,” Rasmussen explains, “those sexy graphics won’t make it through the software system that is set to scan through your document. In that case, it is important to have a graphic-less document so you can get through the software.” Another tip to get your resume into the right hands, literally? Scan the job description for keywords you can add to your resume, our guide instructs. If the job calls for a “self-starter,” a “leader,” or someone “eager to learn,” be sure to add those in.

Related: Here’s exactly what to put on your resume to land an interview 

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2. ORGANIZED INFORMATION

According to Rasmussen, “ask any recruiter or someone tasked with looking at resumes day after day, and they’d say that most people do a horrible job organizing information.” By organizing your resume in a clear way, you’ll already be steps ahead of the competition.

There are many ways to organize a resume, but two good formats suggested by our guide are the chronological resume and the functional resume. In a chronological resume, you focus on “your recent work history above all,” our guide instructs. “List your positions in reverse chronological order, with the most recent positions at the top and the oldest ones at the bottom.” In a functional resume, your aim is to “emphasize the relevance of your experience,” according to our guide. “To create a functional resume, you’ll prominently feature your professional summary, your skills, and a work experience section organized by how closely the positions relate to the one you’re applying to. This format is best for those who want to minimize resume gaps, or are transitioning into a new industry.” You can also do a mixture of these styles, which is called–surprise!–a combination resume.

3. DEFINED SECTIONS

No matter what kind of resume you decide to create, whether a chronological or functional resume, you will want to make sure each section is defined. “Guiding the reader through what you are going to discuss next is key,” Rasmussen explains. “They don’t want to be left guessing what you are discussing.” Mark each section of your resume in bold, she suggests.

Related: How to jazz-up your average job application

4. QUANTIFIED RESULTS

Don’t just say you increased your company’s sales–show how much you increased those sales with numbers, our guide instructs. “Use your resume to explain concrete accomplishments,” it says. “Make sure your statistics are consistent, percentages are properly placed and business jargon is used appropriately based on the industry.”

What’s more, you may want to bold those numbers and accomplishments. “Bold and front-load your notable accomplishment stories underneath each employment record,” Rasmussen suggests. “Want to get to the point even more? When you are talking about your on-the-job wins underneath each employer, bold the numbers and outcomes from each story. That makes them pop–especially when recruiters are doing the quick once-through on their initial review of your document. Numbers and results bolded at the front of each sentence make it easy for them to see to what degree you are getting stuff done.”

5. EFFICIENCY

If you go on and on and on in your resume, you may lose your reader–and the opportunity for an interview. “Being efficient in how you move the reader through the document makes it cleaner and easier to understand,” Rasmussen says. “We are now in a skimming economy, so getting right to the point cleanly is critical. So, try this tip: If you have held multiple positions at the same company, stack your job titles and dates worked, starting with your most recent and going down to the oldest, instead of having a separate job entry for each position. This stacking maneuver attracts hiring manager attention because by putting the positions underneath each other, it demonstrates that you were progressively promoted.”

One way to keep your resume short and to-the-point is to “only include the skills that truly make an impact–not ones that are basic requirements [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][such as Microsoft Word or an ability to use email] or irrelevant to the job you’re applying to,” according to our guide.

6. WELL-CRAFTED DESCRIPTORS

Guess what? Everyone is a hard worker on their resume. So our guide advises you to ditch the generic and vague descriptors you might be apt to use, such as “hard-working” and “self-motivated,” which are a dime a dozen, and use more specific phrases. “Focus on the skills and accomplishments that set you apart from the competition,” the guide advises.

Related: I built a bot to apply to thousands of jobs at once–here’s what I learned 

7. DEMONSTRATED RELIABILITY

One thing every recruiter will want to see on your resume is reliability. “If you frequently change companies without changing levels or positions, it can be a red flag to recruiters that you are unsure or unreliable,” our guide warns. So that you’re not flagged as a flaky employee, “consider only listing the companies that best align with your desired industry.” If you do that, our guide adds, “you can always add a footnote [that reads like] ‘prior work experience in a different field, more information available upon request.’ ”

 

FastCompany.com | July 23, 2018 | BY JILLIAN KRAMER—GLASSDOOR 4 MINUTE READ

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#CareerAdvice : Use this 15-Minute Checklist to Prepare for a #JobInterview …In Just a Few Minutes you can Make Sure that you’ll Nail your First Impression.

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Your job interview is just days away and you’re feeling unprepared. You’ve reread the job posting about 67 times and you’re pretty clear on the role itself–but you can’t really think of much else to do to brush up.

Don’t sweat it. In fact, you may only need another 15 minutes or so in order to prep, so here’s what to do.

1. CONFIRM EVERYONE YOU’LL BE MEETING WITH

One minute. If the hiring manager or an HR officer set up your interview and didn’t explicitly tell you whom you’re going to be chatting with, don’t just assume it’s them and only them. It’s not at all uncommon for hiring managers to shuttle you off to someone else on their team who’s become available to meet you at the last minute. Firing off a quick email like this puts them on the hook to plan ahead rather than surprise you:

Hi Kamala, I’m really excited to come in on Tuesday. Just wanted to confirm that I’ll be speaking with you and Jarrod. Could you please let me know if there’s anyone else I should look forward to meeting? Thanks so much!

Hit send and move on.

 

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2. CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEWER’S LINKEDIN AND TWITTER

Five minutes. Chances are you’re more familiar with the job description than with the roles and backgrounds of your interviewer. Once you’ve nailed down which people you’ll be talking to, it’s time to do some digging on each of them.

LinkedIn is the obvious great place to start. Skim their previous roles (including at other employers), take note of how long they’ve been with the organization, and then head way down to the bottom: If there are endorsements and recommendations, these can give you a feel for what a prospective boss might be especially good at. Any common themes in the praise their colleagues are sharing? Obviously, you’ll only find positive feedback in these sections, but that can still help you hone better questions about their management style.

Twitter is a handy guide, too: What articles is your interviewer sharing? Are their tweets opinionated and casual, or do they sound serious and formal? It’s certainly an imperfect measure, but this can still help you guess at an interviewer’s personality, interests, and values.

3. LINE UP YOUR “ABOUT ME” ANSWER

Seven minutes. Chances are your interview will open with some form of “Tell me a little about yourself” or the longer variant, “Tell me a little about yourself and what interests you about this role.” So plan your answer using a few quick bullet points in order to keep things short and concise.

As Glassdoor’s Isabel Thottam pointed out recently, it’s all about first impressions, so you’ll want to avoid sharing a lengthy backstory. “Skip your personal history and give about two to three sentences about your career path and how you ended up in this interview, applying for this job,” she explains. “You don’t need to be too detailed, there are plenty more questions coming. You just want to leave enough curiosity that the interviewer becomes excited to learn more about you throughout the interview.”

Take a few minutes to sketch out this capsule narrative and commit it (loosely, not word-for-word) to memory.

4. BRAINSTORM ONE GREAT QUESTION TO ASK

Two minutes. Get one really sharp question lined up that you can pose to the hiring manager. Sure, you can brainstorm three or five if you have time, but interviews ted to get truncated more often than they drag on longer than expected–so think about the No. 1 thing you really want to know.

Not sure what that is? Here are a few good questions you might want to pose depending on your career-stage. These are a bunch of all-around sharp questions that help you probe deeper about how performance is measured, expectations for the role, career advancement, and more, and these are a few more that can help you really dig into the company culture.

But when in doubt, just ask a question that shows off your curiosity. According to psychologist and talent expert Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “just being curious is a marketable job skill.” It’s “the precursor to learning faster and better, and thereby adapting to change rather than succumbing to it,” he explained in a recent Fast Company column. He suggests asking qualitative questions like, Why do you see X as important?” or “How do you see Y changing in the future?”

This can help interviewers see that you’re thinking ahead and considering how the role fits into the bigger organizational picture, but it does something much more fundamental, too: Continued curiosity is a sign that you’re actually interested in the job and giving it some serious thought. At a minimum, you want to walk out of your interview having convinced them of that.

 

FastCompany.com | July 23, 2018

#Leadership : #ProductivePeople – Three Hacks to Help your Brain Learn Stuff Faster…Getting to Know your Basal Ganglia can Help you Waste Less Time Cramming (and forgetting what you’ve learned later on).

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Trying to learn some new skills and improve your current ones? Join the club. Unfortunately, many of us find the learning process slow, tedious, and painful. But the good news is that there are a few brain science–backed techniques to help you acquire and master new skills a bit more speedily. Here’s a look at three of them.

As you attempt to master a skill, intentionally engage in repeated practice sessions that allow you to fail, adapt and try again. It’s this process that will enable you to improve and eventually become competent in the skill.

Related: How to teach your brain something it won’t forget a week later

1. TAP INTO THE SPACING EFFECT

Skill-acquisition isn’t an event, it’s a process. If you truly want to master a new skill, it’s far better to invest small amounts of time over an extended period than a large amount of time all at once. This is what researchers call the “spacing effect,” which refers to the finding that skill-development tends to improve when learning is spaced out over time.

You’re probably thinking, “But wait, wouldn’t this take longer?” Not necessarily. Because the spacing effect has been shown to boost retention, spreading out your learning process over a period of time limits the likelihood that you’ll have to go back to brush up (or start over completely) a week or a month or a year later. Since the late 19th century, psychologists (and anyone who’s ever crammed for an exam) have known that one of the biggest hindrances to learning is forgetting. So, counterintuitive as it may sound, being a little more patient in the short term may help you reduce your overall time spent learning in the long-run.

Related: What it takes to change your brain’s patterns after age 25

 

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2. TRAIN YOUR BASAL GANGLIA

Most of us focus on comprehension when we’re attempting to improve a skill. That may seem sensible enough, but science shown that while understanding is vital to heightening proficiency (it’s hard to improve when you don’t know how), it isn’t enough to obtain mastery. Turning any newly acquired knowledge into an actual skill requires engaging a part of your brain that heavily impacts learning and movement, known as the “basal ganglia.”

There are two things you’ll need to know about your basal ganglia: First, it learns slowly. Unlike other regions of the brain–such as the neocortex, which deals with the executive functions of the brain and learns quickly–the basal ganglia takes much longer to absorb new experiences and information. Second, it learns by repeatedly performing the behavior. For instance, when teaching a kid to ride a bike you can explain how to steer and pedal the bicycle in a few minutes. But while she may understand conceptually how to operate the bike, her initial attempts will probably be pretty unsuccessful. Why? Because riding a bicycle, like all skills, requires training the basal ganglia, which takes repetition and practice.

As you attempt to master a skill, intentionally engage in repeated practice sessions that allow you to fail, adapt and try again. It’s this process that will enable you to improve and eventually become competent in the skill. Because when it comes to training your basal ganglia, repetition is the key to mastery.

Related: No pain, no brain gain: Why learning demands (a little) discomfort

3. STOP TRYING TO STRETCH YOUR ATTENTION SPAN

Learning how to execute any new skill competently takes one crucial factor many of us don’t pay enough attention to: attention. Human attention is complex, with many factors influencing how attentive we can be at any given moment. Still, there’s at least one way to improve your ability to pay attention, and it’s amazingly simple: Just stop trying to stretch your attention span beyond its ordinary limits.

If you find yourself getting distracted while trying to learn something, press pause, then break up the learning process into shorter segments. It’s called “micro-learning,” and neuroscientist John Medina has summed up the concept in what he calls the “10 Minute Rule”; his research suggests that the brain’s ability to pay attention typically plummets to near-zero after roughly 10 minutes. So focus instead on developing a skill over numerous, short sessions. This will can help you give the task your full attention and obtain maximum results in the shortest time possible. Plus, it all but guarantees that you’ll leverage the spacing effect and avoid forgetting everything later.

None of this brain science is especially complicated, but the reality is that each of us often behaves in ways that make it harder for our brains to grasp a particular skill. Short, focused bursts of repeated practice may seem inefficient when you block out all those learning sessions in your calendar. But from your brain’s point of view, it’s the fastest route to mastery.

 

FastCompany.com | July 22, 2018 

#Leadership : #EmployeeRetention – Plan your New Hire’s Next Job from the Moment they Start… Here’s how Here are Three Ways to Start Preparing your #TeamMembers for New and Different Roles Inside the Company (before they find other opportunities outside it).

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Remember when staying in a job for less than a few years was considered a stain on your resume? That’s no longer the case. By one recent estimate, the average length of time people now spend in a given role is just a little over two years among workers ages 25–39. And who can blame them?

Baseless millennial stereotypes notwithstanding, it’s people earlier in their careers who tend to fill lower-level positions, which typically involve at least a few unexciting tasks. I’ve noticed entry-level employees at my own company getting anxious to take the next step in their careers even sooner than they’d used to. Many of our sales reps now start eyeing their next internal moves after just six to eight months.

So lately I’ve had to think creatively about ways to keep new hires engaged while extending their professional lives inside the company. Here are a few methods we’ve come up with.

BREAK ROLES INTO TIERS

The most employee movement we see here at Vidyard is in our sales department. As with a lot of front-line jobs, it’s hard to keep this area dynamic because sales isn’t necessarily a role where you can rotate people through varied projects, like we do with our developers. So instead we’ve introduced tiers to certain sales positions, transparent step-ups that come with added responsibilities and pay. Importantly, these aren’t promotions out of a role that somebody has only started to master. Rather, we’re building discrete new functions into that role.

A higher-level tier might include new responsibilities like mentoring newer hires, taking on bigger accounts, or shadowing more senior team members. Yet each new level comes with commensurate pay increases to reflect the advancement.

Having clear tiers for sales jobs lets our new hires see from the outset that they’re never “stuck” in an entry-level role, and it shows them exactly what they need to do to make it to the next level. They get the support and encouragement to add to their skill sets while also getting better at selling–the critical function they were hired for. For now, we’ve limited this “slice-and-dice” approach to sales, where there are clear, repeatable duties. But it’s not hard to see how it could be useful elsewhere.

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ASK AMBITIOUS EMPLOYEES TO SELF-ASSESS

As any manager knows, dealing with an employee who’s pushing for a promotion before they’re ready can be a tricky (and common) situation. The challenge is to be realistic without dismissing their desire to advance. Simply telling someone they’ll have to stay put will only breed resentment and accelerate a move–likely outside your company.

So we’ve tried to develop what I think of as a readiness pulse-check. Flip the tables and give eager team members a chance to assess their own readiness for a promotion (or lack thereof). A little while ago, one new hire joined Vidyard as a “concierge,” helping direct customer inquiries to the right place, but his heart was set on getting into sales. When he pleaded with me after just a couple months to make the move, I assigned him some homework: I asked him to spend some time with other leaders in the company to learn exactly what his dream job entailed.

He soon realized he still had some work to do, but he now knew exactly which skills and qualifications he’d need to move forward. Within little more than a year, he successfully made the switch and has continued to move up the ranks. In fact, using this same approach, he went on to segue into a product manager role, where he’s in charge of bringing our tools from ideation to market.

Putting the onus on your ambitious employees to figure out whether they’re truly ready for the next step is a great way to give them some control over their career paths. Some may resent the perceived roadblock. But those that rise to the occasion will be doubly dedicated to their jobs, and double their value to you by learning more about how the company works.

EXPERIMENT WITH SWAPS AND LOANS

Indeed, sometimes the best ways to keep team members happy is to encourage internal mobility across functional areas. Jumping to a new role or department can revitalize enthusiasm and preserve institutional know-how while also busting up silos.

We recently began experimenting with a loaner program to let employees cross departmental lines in their work, something that other tech companies have been doing for years. Right now, our initiative is admittedly small and operating on a four-month trial, but I’m excited to see where it leads in the future. Other times a change of scenery is all it takes to renew someone’s enthusiasm for their job. We have a satellite office in another city on the West Coast, and we’ve had a few team members request to make the move. While this doesn’t always entail a change in job description, the shift in setting is often a welcome change, with the added benefit of strengthening our company culture through cross-pollination between offices.

In my opinion, keeping a good employee for many years is important; it’s the goal of every great leader I know. The key is to creating a climate where people hungry to amass new skills can genuinely see a path forward. In the end, a stifled, inflexible workplace only leads to the exodus of your best and brightest. The earlier you start thinking about where your newest hires might be headed, the sooner you’ll start seeing them maximize their potential and make your organization stronger–no matter how long they’re there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Litt is cofounder and CEO of the video marketing platform Vidyard. Follow him on Twitter at @michaellitt.

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FastCompany.com | July 20, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – Give your #LinkedInProfile a Complete Makeover in Under an Hour…Need to Spruce Up your LinkedIn Profile Fast? Focus on These Seven Areas.

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LinkedIn can be a powerful and convenient hub for your job search. The company says that more than 20,000 companies in the U.S. use the platform to recruit, posting more than 3 million jobs every month. A good profile can potentially put you in front of those companies and give them a sense of whether you might be a good fit.

“It is your professional profile of record. You want to make sure it’s a reflection of you and it really speaks to whatever you’re in it for,” says Blair Decembrele, LinkedIn career expert and director of editorial marketing.

And while a cottage industry has sprung up around helping people and companies craft the perfect profile of record, sometimes you only have time for a quick fix. Maybe you spotted an opening for your dream job. Or you may have met a potential mentor you want to impress. Whatever the reason, if you need to spruce up your profile and don’t have a lot of time, here are the areas on which to focus.

Related: This Is What Recruiters Look For On Your LinkedIn Profile

CONTACT INFORMATION

This one is simple: Fill out your contact information, including company, phone number, email address, website, and other relevant contact information. If the person looking at your profile doesn’t have InMail capabilities or simply wants to reach out to you by phone or email, make it easy for them, says LinkedIn expert Donna Serdula, creator of LinkedIn-Makeover.com and author of LinkedIn Makeover: Professional Secrets to a Powerful LinkedIn Profile.

“Success on LinkedIn is getting off LinkedIn. I don’t mean permanently, I just mean you want to get off LinkedIn and forge real world relationships,” she adds.

Time: approximately two to three minutes.

 

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BACKGROUND GRAPHIC

Perhaps the most overlooked element of a LinkedIn profile is the background graphic, Serdula says. If you don’t have a background graphic, the image behind your photo will be blue with graphics that look like a constellation map. Because so few people take advantage of that opportunity, you can stand out and make your profile more memorable when you do, she says.

What type of graphic or photo should you use? “It’s not the place for a vacation photo or one of your kids,” she says. Find an image that expresses a message that supports your brand. You might show a good, clear image of you speaking at an event. Or, if you want to go for a more scenic image, think about something that’s symbolic of your work or industry. If you don’t have a good photo, check out free stock photography sites like Pixabay or Unrestricted Stock. Be sure to read and follow the conditions of use for any stock photography provider.

Time: Less than five minutes if you have an image

PROFILE PHOTO

If your photo is missing or just so-so and you don’t have time for a professional head shot, grab your smartphone and a friend to take some snaps. Decembrele says that profiles with a photo get up to 21 times the profile views that those without one.

What makes a good photo? Decembrele advises:

  • Avoid complex patterns and busy backdrops (plain white backgrounds are her favorite)
  • Make sure your face fills at least 60% of the photo
  • Ensure the image is representative of who you are as a professional

Time: Roughly 20 minutes to take a few photos.

Related: Career Experts Make Over These Mediocre LinkedIn Profiles

JOBS

LinkedIn profiles that list the dates of all positions receive eight times more views than those where previous jobs aren’t up-to-date, Decembrele says. So, take some time to review your chronological job history and ensure it’s accurate and aligned with your resume.

Time: roughly 10 minutes

ADD KEYWORDS

You may not have time to rewrite your summary, but adding the right keywords is important to help people find you. If you don’t use the specific industry terminology that hiring managers use to search for specific skills, like “investigative reporter” versus “writer,” Serdula says. But avoid overused buzzwords.

Serdula had one client who thought LinkedIn was “useless.” She referred to herself as a CPA [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][certified public accountant] throughout her profile. But Serdula helped her realize that most people search for “accountant,” “bookkeeper,” or “tax helper” when looking for someone with her skills. She added those words throughout her profile, as well as “Quickbooks adviser,” and her profile started generating leads, Serdula says.

Think about how people refer to you and include those keywords in your summary and job descriptions.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes to brainstorm and add keywords

PERFECT YOUR HEADLINE

Your headline is the 120-word line that appears immediately under your name. Be sure you’re using that space wisely, says Sandra Long, LinkedIn consultant and author of LinkedIn for Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide. Use important keywords here and be clear about what you do, she adds.

You can take a couple of approaches to your headline, Serdula says. You may choose to include a list of keywords separated by commas or vertical bars or you may use a tagline that states what you do and who your target audience is. Both can work, so choose one now, but experiment over time to see what works best for you.

“The one thing you want to remember about the LinkedIn headline is that it follows you around LinkedIn,” Serdula adds. Whenever you post, LinkedIn displays your photo, name and headline. So, it’s short piece of digital branding that deserves attention. Serdula also has a headline generator on her website.

Time: Approximately 10 minutes

UPDATE YOUR SKILLS SECTION

Long says the skills section of your profile is important, but people often don’t keep it up-to-date. “I worked with a Princeton grad who majored in Chinese and her top skill [listed] was Microsoft Word,” she says. “I see it all the time.”

You can add up to 50 skills to your profile, but the platform will highlight your top three, Long says. Choose those that truly set you apart in the marketplace. But add all that are relevant, Decembrele says. Members with five or more skills receive up to 17 times more profile views, according to LinkedIn research.

Time: Approximately 10 minutes

Clearly, you could spend much more time on each of these tasks–and you should plan to do so once your crunch time is over, Long says. These are quick fixes, but a good LinkedIn profile takes time to develop, she says.

“Normally, it’s about the best ways to optimize, how to have the best profile,” she says. The quick fixes will help you strengthen your profile in a pinch, but they’re not a substitute for completing your profile; crafting a well-written summary; filling out previous job descriptions with relevant skills; and other elements of a good profile, she says.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwen Moran writes about business, money and assorted other topics for leading publications and websites. She was named a Small Business Influencer Awards Top 100 Champion in 2015, 2014, and 2012 and is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans (Alpha, 2010), and several other books.

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FastCompany.com | July 20, 2018 | BY GWEN MORAN 5 MINUTE READ

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#Leadership : #SuccessfulHabits – 14 Habits of #SuccessfulPeople to Make Your Own… #Success isn’t Something that Happens to Us, it’s Something we Make Happen. Here are Fourteen Habits that Successful People Embrace.

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Success isn’t something that happens to us, it’s something we make happen.

Here are fourteen habits that successful people embrace.

1. They Build Habits to Meet Their Goals

Having life goals is great, but those goals alone won’t carry you anywhere unless you create habits that help you make them reality. If your goal is to improve the quality of your blog articles, you might develop the habit of editing to tighten your writing before your final proofread.

2. They Look at the Big Picture

Successful people don’t rely on instant gratification, they think long term. They find small steps satisfying because they can see that every step leads them closer to the desired outcome. You can’t write a novel without writing individual scenes, for example, but each scene takes you closer to the finish line.

3. They Say Yes

Shonda Rhimes’ memoir, Year of Yes, explores what happens when we say yes to life’s challenges. It’s scary to step outside your comfort zone, but the world opens up when you do. Try saying yes to the things that scare you. You never know where it might lead!

Everyone’s got some greatness in them. You do. The girl over there does. That guy on the left has some. But in order to really mine it, you have to own it. You have to grab hold of it. You have to believe it. —Shonda Rhimes

4. They Also Know How to Say No

We often agree to do things that we don’t want to do. It may be because we want to keep peace, or to make people like us, or even just because we feel obligated. Taking on things that you’d rather not can leave you feeling resentful. Instead, just say no. There’s no need to make excuses. Remember, your life is your own and you have every right to decline.

How to Say No and Mean It

5. They Feel Gratitude

There are significant benefits to being grateful. It can improve the state of your physical and mental health, increase empathy and reduce aggression, and even help you sleep better. Grateful people are happier.

6. They’re Great Listeners

If you want to be liked, show an interest in people. Successful people listen more than they talk, and they’re curious about other people’s experiences. Even the shyest people can communicate effectively if they remember to listen first.

7. They Take Action

Successful people don’t just talk about getting things done. Apple wouldn’t be the success it is today if Steve Jobs had sat around dreaming about how cool personal computers might be instead of acting. If you want to accomplish something, take a step. Then take another. Keep going! You’ve got this.

 

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8. They Clear Out the Clutter

Take a look around your desk, office or living room. It’s likely you see a thing or two that you don’t love and don’t need. Clearing the clutter can help you feel renewed and energized. Incidentally, the same goes for your writing. Learning how to tidy it up will make you a better, clearer communicator.

9. They Think (and Write) Positively

Negative thoughts can keep you stuck. Successful people tend to be optimistic and capable of thinking positively. Even when bad situations arise, they know how to reframe them with a positive spin. (Instead of lamenting that their wallet was stolen, they might be grateful that the thief didn’t try to hurt them.) There’s even research to show that writing about intensely positive experiences daily helps lift your mood.

10. They Don’t Wait for Inspiration

Inspiration is fleeting, and successful people know it. Great writers, for instance, write regularly whether the muse pays them a visit or not. Successful writers, from King to Kafka, made writing both a priority and a habit. If you want to be good at something, you have to do that thing regularly, even when you don’t really feel like it.

6 Inspiring TEDTalks To Watch On Hump Day

11. They Journal

Journaling daily has a surprising number of benefits. The simple act of clarifying your thoughts can help you put them into perspective and even get to know yourself better. Journaling can reduce stress and make you a better problem solver. Bonus: Because you’re practicing when you journal, even if you don’t edit what you write, your writing skills will improve.

12. They Take Cold Showers

No, really. Katherine Hepburn was a huge fan. There’s evidence to suggest that taking a cold shower (by starting warm and then lowering the temperature to a chilly sixty-eight degrees) kick-starts the body by releasing endorphins The practice can ease brain fog, aid in weight loss, and even help lift depression.

13. They Take Social Media Breaks

Social media can be a great communication tool. Unfortunately, bingeing on social media can also be a source of stress. It stirs up competitive feelings by inviting you to compare your life to other people’s. It can make you feel more isolated from the world rather than connected. At the extreme end, it can even become an addiction. Take a social media detox from time to time. Your brain will thank you.

Use Social Media to Build a Personal Brand and Stand Out from the Crowd

14. They Take Responsibility for Their Own Happiness

Successful people don’t rely on others to make them happy. They realize that although things happen that are beyond their control, they can control their own reactions to them. As Milton said, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

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#Leadership : #Negotiating – How to #Negotiate Anything–From People Who have Done It ….From Asking for a #Raise to Getting to a #FlexibleWorkSchedule or a #Sabbatical , we Got Advice from People Who Have Successfully Gotten What they Asked For.

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Part of business–no matter what type you’re in–is bargaining and asking for what you want, deserve, and need. From going after opportunities to making a case for a raise–or requesting the ability to work from Bali–in a fierce, competitive landscape, standing up for yourself is an often undermined soft skill.

If there’s a part of your current gig that you want to change, consider these negotiation tips from people who have been there, won that:

It is always a bummer to find a company that captivates you with its mission but isn’t hiring. Instead of turning your attention to other pursuits and hoping an opening will will come up, why not pitch yourself? That’s exactly what Daniel Clark did when he discovered Brain.fm. The company didn’t have a budget for a developer, but he was convinced of the company’s potential, so he bargained to prove to them why his skills were needed. And the kicker? He did it for free: “I asked myself what was the ‘win-win’ I could find–what could I give up to eventually get what I want? I came to the conclusion the best way to do it was to give up my salary, and I did just that. I worked the first month for free and knew that if I showed what I could do they would keep me on, worst case, I lose a month salary,” he explained. Considering he’s now the CEO of the company, the risk was worth the wager.

Related: How To Pitch A Role That Doesn’t Exist (Yet)

Understandably not everyone can quit their current gig and lose out on a paycheck, but Clark says there is still a way to state your case and prove it. The first–and most important step–is to come prepared and open-minded. When you’re vying for a job opening that isn’t technically available, he says the worst case scenario is a “no”–so prove to them why you’re a “yes.” Negotiation simply is a process aimed at reaching an agreement between two parties. Usually it has to be successful for both people, and can’t be tipped in anyone’s favor.

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HOW TO NEGOTIATE REMOTE WORK

As the freelancing population continues to increase, the requirement of an office space decreases. More solopreneurs are taking their gigs around the world, where only strong Wi-Fi is required to meet deadlines and maintain cash flow. Even so, it takes a shift in thinking for most managers. So when the director of administration and marketing at the Player Progression Academy (PPA), Annie Gavett, was offered the opportunity to globe-trot for a year, she had to figure out a way to make it work. Her former employer declined her request, but PPA was open, since Gavett was honest from the get-go about about her needs. After explaining the ins and outs of the program, sending them a proposal, a few phone calls and in-person interview, they agreed to let her work from anywhere. Though her contract initially featured a lower salary, after four months of hard work, she asked for–and received–a raise. These days, she has two employees who report to her, too.

The key to her success? Gavett says it’s all about self-advocating. “Stand up for yourself. Verbalize your wants and needs. But also have the facts to support why you’re asking for X, Y, and Z. Ask for more than you want and need, and be willing to negotiate down from a higher base,” she adds.

HOW TO NEGOTIATE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE

You’ve heard of folks who take sabbaticals after the loss of a loved one, a tumultuous divorce, or another emotional or physically tasking experience. But what if you just want to take a break? After years of working as an attorney at a large law firm in Manhattan, Stacey Trimmer managed to negotiate a 10-month leave of absence to see the world. After expressing her need to have freedom, she spoke with a partner who–to her surprise–was fully supportive of her idea. “After our discussion, I walked immediately to the associate personnel director’s office to explain my request and was able to say I already had this partner’s backing,” she continued. “She asked for details on when I wanted to leave and return, and the next day I had confirmation that the firm had approved.”

Related: How To Convince Your Boss To Let You Take A Sabbatical

If you’re bargaining for any period of “pause” from your job, Trimmer says it is important to demonstrate and prove your worth over time. That way, when you’re ready to ask for a short (or long) stint away from day-to-day responsibilities, they are willing to hold your position. “It wasn’t just luck that the firm allowed me to take the leave of absence. The reason was that I had produced excellent work for five years and built a lot of trust in several partners and senior associates that were willing to support me,” she added.

HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR RATE

As a freelancer, you’re not only your own boss, but often your own accountant, client services executive, psychologist–and the list goes on. As new opportunities come across your inbox, you’re tasked with the sometimes grueling and tricky process of naming your rate. For Jonathan Rick, an entrepreneur and ghostwriter, earning what he is worth was less about negotiation and more about remaining steadfast. While considering taking on a digital-marketing project, he explained the value of the experience and expertise he would bring to the project, when they attempted to lower the rate. “I wasn’t defensive or curt, but I was respectfully firm this is the market rate for professional work,” he explained. “And as it turns out his reluctance wasn’t a negotiating ploy; he didn’t understand the scope of the services I was offering, and so after a few emails, I ended up getting my full fee.”

For those in similar situations, Rick suggests shying away from using ultimatum-like language, even if that’s basically what you’re presenting. “Couch your words in a way that communicates firmness but respect, and resist the temptation to get chatty. Succinctness here is a virtue; often it’s best just to bottom line it and say, ‘This is my rate,’ ” he says. End of story.

HOW TO NEGOTIATE A DEAL WITH A POTENTIAL PARTNER

Regardless of whether you’re a two-person show or a full-service company with dozens of offices, effectively working with current and potential partnerships is essential to the growth of your company. And frankly, your career prospects. President of Enterprise Strategic Partnerships Glenda McNeal at American Express has worked on some of the credit card company’s largest deals, including Hilton, Marriott, PayPal, and others. To ensure they are receiving as much as they’re giving, they often use a creative approach to these negotiations, outlining in specific ways the value they’re bringing to the table–either through co-branded products, tech integration or access to customers. “By taking an enterprise view of a potential or existing partnership, we can develop more holistic and deeper relationships that derive mutual value for years to come,” she explains.

For smaller operations, McNeal recommends starting with the outcome and developing your strategy for execution from day one. “Engage your team early on to develop a game plan that is agile and takes into consideration compromise, concessions and trade-offs. Preparation and focus provide a shared vision for the team, clarity on the process and a clear roadmap to the end game,” she shared.

HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH A DIFFICULT CLIENT

There are great people to work with–and not so easy-peasy. No matter your industry, you’re bound to come across personalities that don’t mesh with your own, or whose ethics aren’t up to the standard you require. For beauty expert Sara Drury, being taken seriously as a hair and makeup artist is an uphill battle, especially when agreed-to terms are broken. Once, a client agreed to pay a certain amount and then tried to pay less when an invoice was due. Instead of typing up the angry email she wanted to pen, she decided to pick up the phone and cut to the chase, stat. “I wanted her to hear my voice and know that I wasn’t angry, but I wasn’t going to let that stand,” she explained. “We discussed the situation and, while I knew she wasn’t happy about it, eventually she agreed to pay me the full amount.”

For those who are less comfortable with confrontation, this method can be intimidating, but Drury stresses the importances of leaning into it: “Regardless of the profession you are in, there will be times that you have to stand up for yourself,” she shares. “Believe it or not, you teach people how to treat you by the way you treat yourself. You can be kind while still standing your ground.”

 

FastCompany.com | July 19, 2018 | BY LINDSAY TIGAR 7 MINUTE READ

#BestofFSCBlog : #SalaryNegotiations – How Much Money to Ask for During your Next Salary Negotiations. How Much Money Should you Ask for in a Salary Negotiation?  It’s a Tricky Question.

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How much money should you ask for in a salary negotiation?  It’s a tricky question. The fact that salary negotiations can be extremely stressful doesn’t help matters, either.

When you’re finally down to the wire on your impending job offer, there will come a time to talk numbers, Lynn Taylor, national workplace expert and author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,” told Business Insider.

“That one last conversation — where you negotiate salary — can unnerve even the most savvy job seeker,” she said.

Fortunately, there are strategies for hashing out your salary or a raise with an employer.

Here’s how to find out how much money you should ask for in a salary negotiation, and how to get it:

Do your homework

To prepare for a salary negotiation, you’ll want to do your research ahead of time and figure out what someone with your experience and skills typically makes in this particular role.

Once you hear their offer and it’s time to negotiate, you should keep those numbers in mind, “but also consider the nature of the first offer and how much bargaining power you think you have,” Taylor said.

You should also take into consideration whether you’re currently under- or overpaid.

Ask for 10% to 20% more than what you’re currently making

As a general rule of thumb, it’s usually appropriate to ask for 10% to 20% more than what you’re currently making.

That means if you’re making $50,000 a year now, you can easily ask for $55,000 to $60,000 without seeming greedy or getting laughed at.

“If the original offer is on the low side of the scale, you have more leverage,” Taylor said. “If you get an offer for 20% over your current salary, you can still negotiate for more — ask for an additional 5% — but know that you’re already in good stead.”

Asking for 10% to 20% more is also a good option if you’re looking for a raise from your employer.

That being said, Taylor said to not be afraid to “go big on your first negotiation.”

“Just be sure you’re using market salary ranges as your data point,” she said.

Put your knowledge to use

The first step of winning any negotiation is actually sitting down to negotiation. So don’t just accept the first offer you get from a prospective employer.

While most employers expect you to come back with a counteroffer, many job candidates avoid the practice and leave money on the table.

“You don’t have to be one of them,” Taylor said. “You’d be well served in your career to become comfortable with the process. You get one chance to accept a final compensation package at your company, so be prepared to make a persuasive argument.”

Jacquelyn Smith wrote a previous version of this article.

 

BusinessInsider.com | July 18, 2018 | Áine Cain

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