Natasha Gargiulo and the BT Breakfast Televsion team speak with Jessica Glazer of MindHR Recruiting placement agency about self-promoting at the office. It can sometimes feel unnatural and uncomfortable but it’s an important way to get ahead in your career.
Recruitment specialist Jessica Glazer offers tips to help you promote yourself.
“Flexible work schedule”, “millennials”, “ping them” “flex time” these are all terms used in today’s office environment that wasn’t conceivable 30 years ago yet with all the changes in the office environment we still hear about the performance reviews.
Managers hate writing them, employees hate receiving them. It is the only time of the year, everyone is walking on egg shells regarding work ethic and money. The larger problem is 53% of employers said they don’t even actively track performance during the year what’s the point? Plus research shows remembering the bad is a basic and wide-ranging principle of psychology. It’s in human nature,
To make matter worse, research has found that more than 9 in 10 managers are dissatisfied with how they conduct annual performance reviews, and almost 9 in 10 HR leaders say the process doesn’t yield accurate information and it’s a waste of their time. So why are they still doing it and…
What is a company to do?
Stop Insisting On Old Methods In A New Age
We all know Millennials want information now and seeing as they are now management material, everyone needs to regularly communicate with their team regarding performance. By doing so they will find their employees nearly three times more engaged. It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting but highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week! This doesn’t have to be written but a “walk by review”.
Good job. When I saw x consider y.”
When a manager “checks in” more often, this will essentially improve employee engagement, reduce turnover and increases company productivity, aggravation and mistakes!
As the New Year approaches if you are a manager, in HR or a CEO step away from annual reviews…if it’s not too late!
Turn over a New Year with a New Snowflake, take different steps to encourage more frequent engagement to ensure your company is heading in the right direction.
If only 8% of companies believe their performance management process is effective and over 50% feel it’s not effective at all, why are you wasting your time and money in the wrong places?
Jessica Glazer is the Founder of www.MindHR.com a head-hunting and resume writing agency in Montreal. She is a contributor to the HuffingtonPost, can be heard on Montreal’s NewsTalk Radio CJAD and seen on BTMontreal, ABC NEWS, CTV and Global television speaking about employment related issues. Learn more www.jessicaglazer.ca
These are days and nights we have never seen before.
During the great depression or the severe recessions since we didn’t have our kids at home, our bills didn’t keep piling in and the world didn’t stop. These are incredibly challenging times. The entire world has undertaken a massive shift …all at the same time and all because we have been forced to!
We aren’t just struggling to get a job, or get work done, we are working from home, we are eating at home, we are workingout at home and all we are doing is at home! ;
The first priority of all businesses must be to keep their employees mentally stable. The second priority, to keep them physically safe and the third is to ensure their business survives. So how can leaders provide focus and ensure teams are actually productive when for the first time they don’t actually know?
1) Show Up! A leafer must always thin k about how they show up and during a crisis that is more important then ever, for themselves, for the team and for each emplyee. Their role isn’t just to be present but be present with purpose….EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
2) Communicate! EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. During the best of times employees need communication during the worse of times they need it even more…especially since there is no open door to walk into or colleagues to shoot the sht with..everyone is in their head so this is the time to ensure leaders are leading. While we don’t know what the world will look like in 6 months’ time, a leader can communicate the intentions of the company, the driving forces, the problems to solve and projects to tackle to in order to stay relevent to the times.
Taking control of the your company’s story is so critical right now for maintaining confidence in the company. It’s important to control the spread of misinformation and to ensure the information that comes from the business is clear and simple.
3) Speak Up: With or without you, your employees are talking so while using online formats doesn’t suit everyone a leader must go out of their comfort zone and speak up through Slack, Email, Video call, a thank you note…it’s SO important to be open and speak your truth.
For the first time, every leader has the same thing in common..We are in a crisis! No one is expecting anyone to have all the answers but people need reassurance. This is why, like them or not the politicians are showing up and speaking up EVERY. SINGLE.DAY!
People aren’t seeking false hope, they are seeking someone to tell them what is happening, what things look like from your side and what you and they need to get through this. You are literally in this together.
4) See Your Vision: A leader won’t be able to provide all the answers but they can provide a vision. How they see things, what they will accept and what they wont. People need and want guidance. They want to see their leader share the good, the bad and the promising. They want to see the great work of their team members. This is the time to build a culture, a true culture of rituals and behaviors that define the working life in this new normal as it brings a normalcy to this completely unnormal time.
Jessica Glazer is an empowerment coach as well as the founder and CEO of MindHR, a recruiting and resume writing agency. Jessica is also a motivational speaker and appears regularly on various news and radio stations speaking about employment related issues. She was the television host of Videotron MaTV Starline, micro-documentary series about local businesses as a multi-generational and multi-ethnic urban exploration of Montreals entrepreneurs and job market.
You love being in an office because you love people and feel the office enviroment although sometimes SO ANNOYING is truly uplifting and where you need to be…it’s where your “files are” and where you spend most of the hours of your life.
And then came…COVID19.
Etroverts now find themselves forced to work-at-home because of a pandemic, a lockdown and now may be suffering from anxiety and the unknown
Here are 6 Tips For Remote Work SUCCESS!!
Promote regular check-ins: In a remote environment, people are literally alone…so it’s important to keep checking in and provide a vibe that “you are there because there’s so much happening”
Make deliberate connections: Find a reason to reach out to somebody. Don’t think that just because you are home no one wants to hear or read from you. In fact more then ever people want connections, so reach out and have a conversation. Of course like any enviroment there needs to be boundries and acceptance.. but take the time to reach out and have a conversation, it’s a mental health check.
Reassure employees about job status: Most aren’t sure what each day will bring and are worried they may lose their job. As a manager have open communication about where the company is at, have HR and managers discuss their job security, their importance and face their worries head on. It’s imporants people know the executive team is there and available since they can’t see that “the door is always open”
Update company policies to reflect COVID-19: HR has become the new corporate heroes as they are working endlessly to update company policies … nobody was expecting this so if you are unsure about something get out of your head coming up with answers for yourself an reachout to HR, or your leadership. Everyone in the company is in this together to help as everyone is in this complicated scenario. You are not alone with your problems as it’s not a company problem it’s a humanity problem and the companyis there to let you know, you matter….because they need you as much as you need them.
Relax: In general and around your rules with teleconferencing. It’s true not many people want to see your cat, dog or child but some people have no choice regarding “child care” especiallly since it’s illegal to lock them in a closet, basement or garage. So be understanding, record the meeting, ensure if you have your kids you can be present at the meeting…at a time e you are less “needed” especially since your personal and professional life have colided but so has everyone elses so give yourself space to breathe. This is life.
Bonus: Schedule remote work parties and events.
They are SUPER fun and engaging!!
It doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg but have a 5 a 7, where packages are delivered to their house and you hire a mixer…have online zumba classes just for your team…
Create and have fun!!
Remote work doesn’t have to be boring, mind numbing and anxiety ridden.
Remote work, is just that…remote…you aren’t out of site or out of mind, you are just not at an office, so show up and work as you are needed now more then ever!
For you. For your company. For the economy!!
No one accepts a career anticipating a horrible, terrible, awful, no good boss but perhaps it is something you should consider as you go through a career assessment. Working for a terrible boss is like opening the golden gates to your career and here’s why:
You Simply Learn More From A Bad Manager Than A Good Manager:
You Learn To Wear Different Masks: You learn quickly that the way you talk to one person is not the way you can or should talk to someone else and a terrible boss will make that very clear, quickly.
You Learn To Do Be Resourceful: You want to avoid your boss so you will find different ways to get answers and you will certainly be sure to get the right ones, the first time around.
You Learn To Work With Difficult And Different Personalities: It’s easy to work in an office where everyone is more or less easy going…try working with the 50 shades of an office…
You Learn What To Keep To Yourself And Vice Versa What To Say Allowed: A bad boss normally doesn’t want to hear or read from you, or they want to hear and read from you every second so you will learn to discriminate your thoughts regarding what to say when and to who.
You Learn Self Respect: Deep down you know you are great at what you do, so you tell yourself that and you know what you just won’t tolerate.
You Learn Patience: There’s a reason patience is a virtue and many deep breaths come with a bad boss.
You Learn Not To Associate Yourself With Gossip: It’s that simple. You are working. You learn to be more like your boss and care less about the world around you and more about your work.
You Learn To Think Before You Speak Or React: It’s very common for people to react in action and speech but with a bad boss, your mouth and body language is sealed since you want to keep your job…don’t you??
You Learn To Value Feedback And Know How To Accept Criticism:Bosses can be rough, mean and tough. Having a bad boss, means you understand that some things are genuine points you need to improve on and other points that just need to slide. You accept criticism and feedback as you know it is to help you improve without crushing your ego…in fact it makes you stronger.
You Learn How To Understand People: Some people flourish when working with difficult people and it’s simple, because they “get it”. They can read the good days, the bad days, and even the moments. They understand that EVERYONE even a bad boss has great moments!
You Learn Negotiations Skills: If your mind is set on something you will be as articulate as possible to ensure what you are about to present or offer is sure as hell worth it. A bad boss, doesn’t accept mediocre.
You Learn How To Help Others: When someone new comes to the office you can’t help but feel a little bad for them. You go up to them, console them and work with them. They are not your new best friend, you are their confident and what keeps them from quitting, and you know that!
Learn To Read People: You know how to read body language and quickly!!
Learn To Value Relationships: The people outside of your office are important to you. They are what keep you grounded and the people you get along with in the office are your common ground and they are your release center as well..as they understand you.
Learn What to Do When Left Alone: You don’t need to be hand held, micro managed, or babysat. You know how to prioritize your work and your time because you know what will get you in trouble and what won’t.
You Learn Everything You Are Doing Today Is Preparing You For Tomorrow: When you go to work day in and day out working for a bad boss you aren’t looking at the now, you are looking at the big picture. You know it’s more important for you as you know it’s your stepping stone to the mountain top.
So next time you are about to turn down an interview or a job at that “terrible” company. Look deeper as there is a company out there for everyone and just because you may know a lot of people who didn’t take a job at that company, know the company survived somehow and those that did survive have an amazing learning ground.
You are sitting at your computer, ready to apply for your dream job. You have been waiting for the perfect job to be posted or the certain person to reach out to you and so you start to ponder your cover letter. The butterflies are in your stomach and anticipation of getting the job is in your head. You are sitting there thinking “What should I write in my cover letter??” Well, be relieved that as much as you hate writing covering letters, hiring manager hate reading them.
It takes 7 seconds to review a resume and 1 second to scan your cover letter. So the truth is if we see another cover letter that expresses the “desire to learn” or how your education and experience matches that of the job, or how you managed 15 people which can clearly be seen in your resume please, don’t shoot us, just pull our eyes out! As there is no such thing as an “eye catching” cover letter. Don’t be fooled by posts with information that must be in the cover letter. For the love of anything do not have one…it’s old school!
In the new school of thought, there is no secret to writing a great cover letter, except for not having one and here’s why:
Cover Letters Have Proven To Be Your Window For Error: Countless people make so many errors in their cover letter. Aside for the fact people still make spelling and grammatical errors, people also forget to ensure their cover letter matches their resume and social media platforms.
The ATS- Applicant Tracking System Is Against You- All recruiting firms and most companies use an ATS to make their recruiting efforts more efficient so your cover letter isn’t even kept! It gets deleted as your resume put into the system.
Your Resume Tells Your Story: We know your cover letter is full of jargon about how you want the job but would you apply if you didn’t want the job or work at the company your writing about in detail??
It’s So Damn Long!! What the heck are you writing?? You make it as though we have all the time in the world to sit an read a novel during our work day. If you can’t write quickly, what will it be like meeting you??
The Cover Letter Profiles Your Monotony: Everything you have written in the cover letter is profiled in the resume..we get it. You worked at a, b c company for x years, managed so many people etc etc…again there’s no need to reiterate it in your cover letter.
Your resume, if strong enough, will highlight the elements of your resume that will ensure you are the right match for the job and company you are applying for. If it doesn’t then revamp your resume. Gone are the days when it had to be one page. If you have experience profile it, highlight it, embrace it but let the cover letter die in peace.
If you want to get noticed, don’t write a cover letter write an introductory email about the person you are writing to, as it’s not all about you.
Jessica Glazer is the Recruitment Director/Founder of www.MindHR.com-a head-hunting and resume writing agency. She can also be heard on Montreal’s NewsTalk Radio CJAD and seen on BTMontreal and Global television speaking about employment related issues.
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