Company Perks Employer Vs Employee - Who Wants What

Company Perks Employer Vs Employee - Who Wants What Many people think they know whats best for you from your parents to your teachers and you the boss. And while companies may mean well in offering the kinds of perks and benefits they think their employees will love, that may not be the case. Now if we left it to employees to have free reign to choose which perks they can have from an unlimited list, it might give your company the popular vote amongst your staff but it might not be right for your business. But the good news, according to new research by Perkbox and Talentpool, they found that when it comes to perks, employers and employees are to a great extent on the same wavelength. Chieu Cao, Co-founder of Perkbox says: It’s promising to see employees and employers on the same wavelength for a significant number of perks. However, it is also clear that there is more work to be done. With the key to a successful perks and benefits programme being communicating and asking your employees what they would really value in the workplace, these results are very interesting and relevant to employers everywhere. After all, it’s a waste of both time and resources to provide perks that won’t be utilised or appreciated by your staff.” The top four perks according to employees were all linked to social events with extracurricular clubs ranking first (eg. arts and crafts, book clubs) followed by pool table, ping pong table and office sports teams (e.g. football and netball). For employers, on the other hand, social events like the above were the fourth most listed perk in the job descriptions studied. Similarly, flexible working ranked in a comparable position in both employer job specs and employee preferences. It ranked 11th in the list of perks that employees want, while for employers, it appeared 8th as the most listed benefit in job descriptions. However, this consistency in employer-employee preferences wasn’t visible throughout the entire findings. When it came to private healthcare, it was a completely different story. Private healthcare was highly promoted by employers whose jobs specs were analyzed, but it only ranked 15th in the list of top employee preferences. Similarly, Friday drinks only came in 38th place for employees but were advertised in 958 (41%) of the job descriptions studied. Finally, free tea and coffee, a simple perk for employers to provide which would help explain why it was mentioned in such a huge portion of the job descriptions analyzed (47%) was a perk appreciated by 84% of the employees surveyed. Surprisingly, the more ‘millennial-driven perks’ such as yoga and nap pods ranked nearer to the bottom of the list for both employees and employers in this research. Tom Davenport, Managing Director at TalentPool says:   “Companies today are working harder than ever before to stand out from the crowd by offering their employees the incentives that they think they want. However, what this research reveals is that theyre not quite hitting the mark yet. Employers need to be listening to what their prospective and current employees actually want. For millennials, in particular, the perks a company offers can determine whether or not they apply for their job, so its key for employers to be getting this right.” PERKS EMPLOYEES DESIRE MOST (Perkbox Data) PERKS EMPLOYERS ADVERTISE MOST (TalentPool Data) 1. Extracurricular clubs 1. Free Tea Coffee 2. Pool table 2. Training 3. Ping pong table 3. Private Healthcare 4. Office sports team 4. Social Events 5. Video games 5. Bonus 6. Birth-o-holiday 6. Free/ Subsided gym membership 7. Discounts on holidays, flights and hotels 7. Team Lunch 8. Discounts at supermarkets 8. Flexible Working 9. Free coffee and hot drinks 9. Friday Drinks 10. Discounts on restaurants and takeaways 10. Cycle to Work Scheme

How to Include Creative Writing in Resume

How to Include Creative Writing in ResumeIf you have recently graduated from college and are looking for a job, then you should definitely include creative writing in your resume. Not only is this the type of writing that will land you the job, but it is also what people will read first. It is like a sales letter for the person who writes it. So the more creative you can make your resume the better.Creative writing is not all about nonsense, though. There are some rules for getting the right job. First of all, it is important to stay away from any slang or curse words in your resume. You want to express yourself in a way that the employer can understand. If you're in college and you have many years of experience, then make sure that you tell them the truth, and not some nonsense.Another thing to remember when you are looking for how to include creative writing in resume is to include some sort of 'talent' that you have in your resume. Don't just say you are an English major, tell the m what you do. Some examples would be: I was in a band called The Duck Commander Sixteen, I was in a play called 'The Couple', I wrote my own script, and I taught myself how to use a computer!People who are interested in creating their own content often turn to writing and arts as a way to express themselves through creative writing. This is a great way to express yourself. No one can imagine how creative you are without hearing your creative writing. It's like a language, you have to know the language before you can write well.To get creative writing included in your resume, try to get someone to read it. Not just someone who works in the admissions office, but someone who is not so far away from you. Write down as much as you can on paper and then pass it to the person to see if they can learn something from it.When someone is interested in knowing what you have to say, they can find out through articles you have created. These articles are full of your thoughts, and ideas. They a re usually short and sweet and are great for creating a good impression. Find someone to write an article for you, and let them know that you need some input on this topic, and to let them know that you are willing to help them create the information for you.Another way to how to include creative writing in resume is to go online and read the articles that other people have written about this subject. You might even be able to get some advice on what to write about. Try to get a large number of different articles and get them out there.Remember that you always need to think of your resume as your first impression. If you create it yourself, then you know you have a lot of time to figure out what the proper format is. If you hire a resume writer, then they know that there is no such thing as a format for your resume. So don't be afraid to allow them to come up with the format that will best represent you in the eyes of the employer.

The Dos And Donts of an Awesome Morning

The Dos And Donts of an Awesome Morning For most of us, mornings are miserable. Communicating with people is  off the agenda until youve had your morning coffee. However, there is the rare and endangered  species named  The Morning Person the kind that are motivated, cheerful and energetic before 9am. How do they do it, I hear you ask? Well I have listed the Dos and Donts of having an awesome morning below. Let me know in the comments if you have any rituals that make your mornings awesome. Here are mine: 1. DO go to bed earlier the night before Having an awesome morning begins the night before! Going to sleep earlier means your body will feel well rested and getting out of bed the next morning will be a breeze. Getting enough sleep is an  essential for your health and wellbeing; not only does it make your feel generally happier, but it also improves memory, spurs creativity and can also help you live longer. 2. DONT  snooze The snooze button looks oh-so-appealing at 6.45am but dont do it! Weve all done the 10 more minutes and then woken up an hour later and sprung out of bed as if you  were being hit with a cattle prod and its all the snooze buttons fault! Make a point to sit up as soon as your alarm goes off. Doing this over a few days means youll become accustomed to it, and the snooze button will be a thing of the past. 3. DO plan a delicious and nutritious breakfast Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and my personal favourite. If you  make a point to plan your breakfast, than your grumbling stomach will help you get out of bed. There are so many quick and healthy breakfast recipes for the savoury or sweet toothed so why not start experimenting with your breakfast? Its a sure-fire way to improve your mornings. 4. DONT check your emails An important part of being motivated at work is to enjoy the time youre not working. Maximising your downtime is so important in order to  boost  your productivity at work you need to do the same outside of work. So it may be difficult, but when you wake up dont check your emails! Keep work for work and use the morning for yourself. 5. DO plan your outfit the night before Planning is key for an awesome morning and outfit planning is a big part of this. Theres nothing worse than fumbling in your drawers looking for a pair of clean socks, or waiting for the iron to heat up so you can iron a shirt. Have your outfit for the next day ready the evening before this way you can get ready with ease! 6. DO drink a  glass of water Its no secret that staying hydrated is essential for your wellbeing.  Try and drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up not only will it make you feel more alert, but it also purifies the colon, meaning  the nutrients in any food you eat are more easily absorbed by the body. Refreshing AND scientific! 7. DO jump on the treadmill for 30 minutes Getting your blood pumping releases endorphins in the brain meaning youll feel happier as a result. It also jump starts your metabolism (which is never a bad thing!), and has been scientifically proven to improve mental acuity throughout the day. If you hate the thought of doing a workout, then turn up your favourite track and have a boogie! 8.  DO  make your bed This may be a strange tip to share but making your bed is a keystone habit which means youre more likely to accomplish other positive things after doing it. So make your bed, and you may just change the world 9. DONT use screens Stay away from anything digital. Dont watch TV or log onto your laptop, as this  creates unnecessary distractions that can slow down your mornings. 10. DO leave your curtains open Leaving your curtains open at night means that natural sunlight will enter your room meaning you will often wake up naturally before your alarm. Waking up naturally will leave you feeling more well rested  and happier. Often alarm clocks wake us up during periods of deep-sleep, meaning were left feeling groggy and tired. Waking up naturally occurs during light sleep, so  we feel more awake and well-rested immediately after waking up. RELATED: 10 Things to Help Improve Your Productivity

Is Stress Affecting Your Employees Ability to Work

Is Stress Affecting Your Employees Ability to Work Stress is one of the greatest obstacles to functioning normally in our daily lives. Is stress affecting your workforces’ ability to work efficiently? In 2016, UK business recorded 11.7million days that were taken off work due to stress, anxiety, and depression. The financial cost of this equated to at least £2.4billion. Stress is a psychological problem rather than a physical one and affects most of us at some point in our lives. According to the Health Safety Executive, the main work factors cited by respondents as causing work-related stress were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support. Stress in the workplace In the UK between 2015 and 2016, there were almost 500,000 cases of anxiety, depression and stress in the workplace. The most common occupations to report higher levels of stress sat within public service industries, such as healthcare and teaching professionals. Indeed, the overall numbers show that 37 percent of all work related sickness was attributed to stress. The issue isn’t just bound to the UK either, recent research by the American Psychological Association revealed that 24 percent of adults reported experiencing extreme levels of stress. This has led to the majority of respondent adults reporting at least one chronic illness. Considering the numbers, it is likely that a selection of your workforce has had to deal with stress at some point in their career. So what can a company do to help their employees avoid the signs of stress? Identifying stress and strain on worker health An employee’s ability to cope with the demands made upon them may be adversely affected by a change in circumstances at home or at work. Perhaps they’ve suffered bereavement or maybe a build-up of small worries that play on your mind constantly. More prevalently than the financial cost to business, stress will have a detrimental and serious effect on health if left unchecked. Anyone who has suffered with stress knows that the ability to think rationally is impaired. However, the physical effects are frightening particularly if you haven’t correlated them with stress. The most common symptoms that can help identify when an employee is potentially suffering from stress include: Headaches Panic attacks Fatigue Decreased libido Insomnia Chest pain Stomach upset Muscle cramps High blood pressure Panic attacks can occur with those suffering from stress, and is the most obvious outward sign of when a company should see whether support is needed. Panic attacks come in the form of struggling to breathe, pains in the chest and are brought on by hyperventilating. Something as simple as breathing into a paper bag will stop the panic attack allowing you to breathe normally. As an employer, support for the worker is an imperative step towards a quick recovery. Reassuring employees that there is someone to talk to within the company will give an outlet to vocalise any problems that employees may be having. If possible, regular one to one sessions with team leaders or line managers will help to spot concerns before they develop into requiring time away from work. Beyond this, company policies that allow the employee sufficient treatment when this is needed. Flexible working can allow the employee to get the treatment if needed during work hours. Chronic stress In the long term, stress is extremely harmful to a person’s health and wellbeing. This is particularly the case when the source of stress has long gone but the stress continues. In turn, the effect on the company will be far more disruptive for not assisting in stemming the cause of the stress early in the process. Chronic stress can lead to immunity becoming weaker, allowing a heightened vulnerability to diseases and viruses. In short, your body ceases to function normally. An individual’s response to stress can differ enormously, though chronic stress can seriously affect health if left unchecked leading to hypertension, diabetes, coronary disease, clinical depression among other conditions. Employers have a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees, including stress and conducting risk assessments for work-related illness. How HR professionals can assist employees managing stress levels When employees feel that they are valued by their company and are involved in its operation they are happier. Excellent communication between managers and staff is key to identifying where the problem lies. Employee wellness programs can be implemented by HR that are designed to assist workers with the management of their stress. Identify which will fit with the company and workforce before and start tackling employee stress. What are your employees citing as the main cause of stress? Studies show the most prevalent reason is workload. Consider looking into delegating work more effectively throughout the company or hiring more staff. Does the workload come from client pressure? This can be managed simply by talking to employees and ensure they are able to say ‘no’ to requests where necessary. Promising a delivery of tasks might help in the short term, but it will increase the pressure and harm relations in the long-term. Ensure flexibility in working hours and that jobs match employees’ capabilities. If changes are being made that may impact on employees inform them in advance. Invite their input to keep them in the loop. If they feel their suggestions are appreciated and opinions respected, they will be more comfortable with modifications. If practical the company could provide some form of entertainment in staff break rooms. The tech sector leads the way with providing office spaces with relaxation areas, as well as indoor sports activities. Other company perks offered by businesses include offering extra days holiday for birthdays, free food in the office, and free bicycle repairs at the office to encourage fitness. If impractical employees can simply be offered discounts for spa breaks or any other perk that encourages healthy living. Tackle absenteeism and assist employees in returning to work by  using applicable health services  such as occupational health and back to work interviews. Make confidential stress counselling available to employees either in or outside of the workplace. Managers should lead by example. In today’s world, the “do as I say” approach has to be backed up with “do as I do”. Skipping lunch, not taking holidays, working excessive hours and leading an unhealthy lifestyle does not present an image employees should aspire to. Stress can cause smokers to increase the amount their smoking. Relief from stress is temporary in comparison to the long term unhealthy effects of smoking, though now alternatives are available to help smokers cut down. Encourage people with an incentive scheme to use e-cigarettes, nicotine chewing gum or patches. Your employees are the most valuable assets in a company, and looking after wellbeing throughout the office is imperative to maintaining productivity. Take preventative measures rather than waiting until staff are being affected by stress by being pro-active. About the author: Elizabeth Walker  is the Commercial Director of a Hertfordshire based digital marketing company, Distinctly. She has responsibility for HR management and her expertise encompasses all aspects of HR best practice.

Why Resume Objectives Are Important

Why Resume Objectives Are ImportantIn this article I am going to discuss the importance of writing resume objectives. Objective is an important part of a resume and without it your resume is incomplete. When your objective does not address the skills and qualifications that you have, your resume is incomplete too.Everyone who is in the job search should write a resume every year. It is a good idea to write two or three resumes a year because some people do not have the time to put into writing the most important parts of their resume. For those that do not have the time, I have an alternative suggestion.For people that can afford to do so, I suggest that you hire a professional resume writer. This will enable you to focus on what you really want to know and not waste your time on the more superfluous parts of your resume. I also like to think of the writing resume as an investment. It is an investment in the fact that your resume will help you land the job you are seeking.Writing res ume objectives is also a great way to impress the person interviewing you. Your job interview can be ruined if you don't talk about your strengths, which is why you should have your resume objectives ready. You should understand that the person doing the interview is likely going to ask you a lot of questions. If you give a well thought out answer, you may get a job as well as impress the interviewer.Writing resume objectives also helps you focus on the best parts of your resume. This is because you can use them to complement the strengths of the person interviewing you. You can use them to emphasize what you know and what you have learned in school, your experience in the work force, and your skill sets.By highlighting your expertise and experience, you can show that you are able to move up through the career progression and that you have a good chance of getting the job you want. By comparing yourself to the other candidates, you can impress the interviewer and show them that you are one of the best in your position.When you are finished writing resume objectives, review them. You should review them to make sure that they do not contain any spelling errors. You should also be able to identify any errors in grammar and composition. If you need to edit them, go over them one more time and then file them for shredding.By making sure that your resume objectives are complete and that they are grammatically correct, you will be able to impress your interviewers. You should use these strategies to show that you are a good fit for the job you seek. Resume objectives are an important part of your resume and they are vital to the success of your job search.

Three Wishes for 2011

Three Wishes for 2011 In order to look forward, I believe you have to look back.   So as I look back over 2010, I observed trends that I want to wish away.   In other words, I observed behaviors that I wish would no longer exist. The Blame Game: Whether the blame is being placed on the President, the government, past employers, future employers, or yourself- STOP IT!   Sure, I wish the economy was better and I wish there were more jobs like the ones that existed in the 1990s but that isnt going to make it happen.   We each have a role and an obligation to ourselves to make our future.   This is a test.   A test of our endurance and our capacity to adapt. What weve experienced last year may just be the beginning.   My wish is for us all to develop a heightened sense of personal accountability.   Entrepreneurship.   Blazing new paths. Readin, Writin Rithmetic Please, lets stay in touch by reading about our occupation, our city, our world.   While youre at it, sign up for some training. Not to change careers and become a Phlebotomist. (unless youve always dreamed of drawing blood.)  Just for fun.   Make it   point to learn new things everyday. Become passionate about a subject.   Be a life-long-learner!   Grow!   And dont expect someone else to pay for this- not your employer and not your government. Invest in yourself. The Greater Good I wish we could all do better at partnering and sharing the burden as well as the profits.   This goes for business and individuals.   The old economy was based on greed and give me what I deserve, the hell with you.   What would happen if the US automakers collaborated instead of trying to hold onto their turf?   Would non-profits have more money and a greater influence if they partnered instead of holding on to their identities? What if government were to become more like a private enterprise and managed their budgets like the rest of us?   I wish for this on a large scale and a small scale. As you look back over your past year, what is it that you wish for in 2011?   What will it take to make your wish come true?

Expanding Your Career Reach

Expanding Your Career Reach Our recent post titled, How Do I Get a Promotion, was based in-part on an experience a coaching client told us about. A few years earlier, our client (lets call her Ms. Y) was the email marketing manager at a 500-person company. Ms. Y had to aggregate and disseminate content that the various departments (marcomm, support, billing, etc.) wanted communicated to their database of contacts. Her day was spent tracking down the details, refining the messages and crafting the email all while making sure the contacts werent getting too much email or not getting any emails. Ms. Ys job was very linear and she rarely had time for strategic projects that would make her job more efficient or help the company in ways she felt were being neglected. The problem Ms. Y saw was that there wasnt a plan or sequence for sending emails since the communications were all based upon particular managers goals/interests. She wanted a more strategic role but never had the time to do the strategic things. So what did she do? Two important things Write Your Job Description First Ms. Y wrote down what she wanted her job to be, all the different roles that were needed, and what resources were needed to fill those roles. This turned out to be her vision for solving the problems that she saw. It guided her efforts and helped sharpen her understanding of the solution her company needed. Empower Resources Whether or not her understanding of the problem and vision of the solution was accurate, Ms. Y was stuck because most of her time was spent crafting these individual email messages. Crafting messages was only one of a number of roles needed to help make her vision come true: customer research, content writing, communication planning, segmenting the database, etc. So Ms. Y went out and found the people at her company who were already doing a role similar to each of these. She then got these people to agree to include a small extra component to their job one of the components needed to fulfill her vision. For example, she asked the managers crafting the emails to identify what the next few emails would be and when they would be needed. She also had them complete an intake form that forced them to spend more time finalizing the emails that should go out. She did similar things with the other roles. The Result She communicated not only with her manager but also with a larger and larger internal audience that soon counted on her to formulate her vision and execute it. Her manager was quite interested because her solution would positively impact his goals. Thus, her strategic initiative became a new initiative for him that he began to report on to his superiors. He was then able to help guide the other resources in following Ms. Ys lead and performing the roles she needed. He even hired two new people that she directly managed. Ms. Ys vision became a prominent goal in the organization and she was respected as a leader. Ms. Y was given a new title at her company. That certainly pleased her but she felt that the company was dragging their feet in terms of promoting her. Thus, she came to see us to understand what she needed to do at her company or if she could leverage this work into a bigger role at another company. Among other things we helped her quantify her impact and clearly document the benefits her company has received. We also analyzed the other roles in her department to see what title/compensation others had who were doing a similar role. Finally, we helped her prepare a proposal to her manager along with reasons for what she wished for. Ms Ys big pitch is coming up well let you know how it goes. Either way, she is well prepared to ask for a promotion at her current company and take her talents to someone who will hire her for an appropriate position.