Working with Working Mothers

Working with Working Mothers Nearly one in five (18 percent) working mothers have been forced to leave their jobs because a flexible working request has been turned down. In a buoyant labour market, where despite uncertainty around Brexit, employers are continuing to recruit, we need all talent we can get. Helping women returning from maternity leave back into the workplace seems a sensible ploy but a lack of flexible working opportunities is a major factor preventing women from progressing at work. Rachel Suff, employment adviser at the CIPD, suggests that employers should make every effort to accommodate flexible working requests and discuss what could work to retain a new mother the cost of re-recruitment and training should serve as a strong disincentive to losing working parents. Of course, working mothers are not the only employees likely to want flexible work, most of us are likely to want to flex our hours at some point. Technology makes it so much easier to work flexibly and it makes no sense for employers to be so resistant to flexible work. All round benefits Viewed in the round, such arrangements benefit employers too. Flexible work helps to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and enhance employee engagement and loyalty. It can increase the pool of applicants for vacancies and aid the retention of experienced and skilled staff already in post. Matthew Taylor’s recent review of the labour market suggests that discrimination against pregnant women and new mothers might be addressed through the consolidation of advice and information for both women and employers. It recommends the Government to consider options for legislative intervention to prevent maternity and pregnancy discrimination if non-legislative methods are unsuccessful in bringing about a culture-change. There are a lot of skilled women who would like to return to work, a large talent pool that we should not overlook. We need those women at work, research shows a link between gender diversity and profitability. Forward thinking organisations embrace policies that encourage working mothers back into the workplace, but at present too many focus on presenteeism and clock watching. If the organisation measures who is doing a good job by how much time they spend in the office then they are missing a trick. Working mothers who face difficulty in sourcing affordable and accessible childcare need access to flexible start and finish times, the opportunity to increase or decrease hours when childcare provision changes or the ability to work from home when necessary. Our workplace cultures need to change, to ensure that parents can work sensible hours and contribute meaningfully to their childrens care. Make it easy Returning to work after maternity leave can be stressful; motivations to return vary, for those with permanent jobs there is a contractual obligation and usually an economic necessity once maternity pay finishes. In addition, for many of us work is a big part of our identity and for the career-minded the return to work should not mean a diminution of their prospects or loss of control over their working lives. There are some simple things that will help both employer and new mother: Stay in touch with the employee on maternity leave to help her maintain contact with the workplace and ease her return to work. Ensure her workstation is ready for her return and that she has the materials necessary to do her job. Take time to update the employee and discuss training needs or support needed to get her back up to speed with her job. Discuss any changes needed to her workload if the employee is returning on reduced hours. I also have some advice for a new mother returning to work: It takes around three months to settle back in, so don’t put pressure on yourself. There will have been changes while you were away, so get someone to fill you in and introduce you to new staff. Don’t over-do the baby talk, show your colleagues you are committed to the job. Have confidence in yourself motherhood has added to your skillset.

Could a Great Corporate Culture Be Bad for Employees - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Could a Great Corporate Culture Be Bad for Employees - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The old adage don’t try to fit a square peg in a round hole, holds true for educating children, relationships, relating to your boss and for finding a suitable fit for employees in the workplace. We often assume that if a company is well-known for having a great corporate culture, then anyone who is lucky enough to get hired will thrive and be happy.   This is far from the truth.   Even the most progressive company who sets the standards for excellence in their human resource practices could fail when the wrong people are brought on board. Case and point if you have a corporate culture that rewards high performers, team work, creativity and innovation with more responsibility, freedom and flexibility, there are some people who might find this environment ideal and others who could become overwhelmed.   The hard-driving ambitious, novel thinkers and affiliative types might thrive in this work setting while those who seek stability, rules and structure could feel overwhelmed. It could also hold true that the brilliant independent type might thrive as an entrepreneur and struggle working with others in a corporate culture that demands working according to anothers rules and as part of a team. Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings doesn’t just talk about having a great corporate culture in his slide show. He created one that actually is a sought after model for all companies regardless of their size. Reed’s motto is ”We Seek Excellence” which at a glance sounds generic but put into practice changes lives and has created loyal, engaged employees. Reed’s method is focused on behaviors and skills that are valued in fellow employees. Netflix management sets the expectations from employees to achieve results and they don’t care whether you put in long hours as long as you’re a high performer. High performing employees are motivated to work there because they’re treated with the utmost respect, paid high salaries, and are given more responsibility and freedom for being valuable contributors to their team.   The Netflix culture attracts and retains stunning employees and the brilliant jerks aren’t hired or are let go.   The company is highly selective in their recruiting so as to insure that new hires fit into their corporate culture. Netflixs management strives to create an environment where every person is someone you respect and learn from.  They formed a great workplace by having stunning colleagues rather than lush benefits, sushi lunches, nice offices and grand parties. Hastings says that rewarding high performance with flexibility, more responsibility and freedoms, (like allowing employees to take whatever vacation time they want), fosters loyalty and gets employees excited about giving their all at work. They would rather see curious employees ‘who seek to understand our strategy, market, customers and suppliers than compliant workers.’ Management rewards those who contribute effectively outside of their specialty and who create new ideas that prove useful.   They encourage employees to challenge prevailing assumptions when warranted and suggest better approaches that minimize complexity and simplify issues. The lesson for prospective new hires is clear seek a culture that s aligned with your personal goals. There’s no one right place for everyone. If you seek stability and structure, an environment that boasts flexibility and high performance might not be a good fit for you. The ideal way to know this ahead of accepting a job is to seek out people who currently work for your perspective employer and to ask them pertinent questions about the culture. Gaining an insiders’ view of what behaviors and personality types thrive in that workspace could help you know whether you might fit in there. The important thing employees can learn from viewing Netflixs easy to skim slide show and from the philosophy at Netflix is that screening for the right culture will determine your happiness at work. A company could make the headlines for its stellar atmosphere, great perks and high salaries but if the expectations aren’t ones you jive with then you’re better off not pushing to get into that firm. The key to your success will be screening and selecting a company based on knowing people whose skills, abilities and sensibilities are similar to yours. Don’t assume that your sibling, spouses or best friend’s company is right for you unless you share the same skill sets and personal needs as them. In today’s workplace theres no one size fits all culture. Every person is unique and so is every company. Think of your job hunt like dating; chose a place that will allow you to thrive. Avoid the unhappy trap of being in a job that’s the wrong fit by knowing what motivates you, what you excel at and under what circumstances you produce your best work. One way to do this is by looking carefully at your previous jobs and recalling what you liked and didnt like about the work you did there and that environment. Know why you’re valuable, what you bring to the table and how and why you’ll be able to add value to your perspective employer. Don’t hammer yourself into a hole that doesn’t fit. Instead, find the right hole that matches your ‘shape’ and thereby maximize your chances for success at work.

Find an extra 60 Minutes a Day Never Lose Anything Again

Find an extra 60 Minutes a Day Never Lose Anything Again If you’re never able to clear your to-do list by the end of the day (and feeling stressed about it) this is part of the continuing series on how to gain a few minutes every day. We spend a lot of time looking for things we know we own but can’t find at the moment we need them. A lot of time. A 2012 study of 3,000 adults by a home insurer found that we spend an average of 10 minutes a day looking for lost objects (men fared worse than women.) That adds up to a staggering a total of 3,680 hours or 153 days, spent searching for stuff by the time you hit 60-something. What could you accomplish with that time? photo: Tile Here are some ways to keep track of your stuff. There’s an app for that: Tile. Tiles are little tags that you can attach or drop into items that you lose frequently: laptops, wallets, keys, guitars, bikesâ€"you name it. You can have up to ten tiles on an account. The app on your smart phone will allow you to activate the tile to make a beep. If you can hear it, you can find it. The app will also remember where you last saw it to shorten your search time and will tell you if you’re getting warmer or colder as you look for the lost object (when you’re within a 50 â€" 150 foot range.) You can share Tile with trusted family and friends so they can help you find objects as well. The tiles last a year with no batteries to replace. At the end of a year, Tile reminds you to order a new set and return yours. Even better, when any Tile user is within 50 â€" 150 feet of your tile, your lost object will appear on the app’s map, so you have a community of almost 50,000 users to help you find your stuff. If you have teenaged children, this is a must-have. Tiles cost $19.95 and the company offers packages (buy 3, get one free.) Tile is compatible only with the latest iPhone and Apple product versions, but not with Android or Windows phones (Bluetooth compatibility issues.) Create better digital files. Looking for digital stuff can be as frustrating as looking for tangible stuff. The secret to quick access is a better filing system. The secret to great filing is great naming. If you file the same kind of expense report every month, starting each separate file with “Expense Report” will really slow you down over time.   Better solution: create a folder for all the same reports and use a numeric system for the date file (March, 2014’s report would be named 0314, for example.) Creating folders and subfolders takes only a second, but they will save you hours of wasted time searching for documents.   Here’s another tip: take an extra second or two to make sure what folder you have open when you save a document from an email attachment. I’ve spent frustrating minutes searching for a document where it should be when a simple error put it in a default document folder. Develop good habits for placing objects you use all the time. The key to not losing things? Habit, habit, habit. Most items get lost because we don’t have a system for storing them every day. Organization experts recommend putting storage where it’s most needed to prompt you to put things in their place. It helps if the storage is attractive and appealing â€" a positive motivator to use it consistently. For instance, I pay bills once a week and try to handle them just once. When bills come in, I store them in my kitchen office in an attractive leather file box. I purchased a box for my husband’s closet shelf that allows him to dump spare change and other small items when he cleans out his pockets at night. Courtesy: The UK Guardian You could purchase attractive bowls and station them at the front and back doors for your keys. Label a set of boxes with kids’ names and train them to empty their backpacks into their own box each evening. Permission slips, notes from teachers and homework papers can all go there with no real thought on the child’s part. You can train them to load the backpack in the morning with the signed papers (that can be where their lunches are placed as well. The whole family will know where to look for those documents during the hectic morning rush. What’s your best tip for finding (or not losing) items? Leave a comment.

How To Remain Productive While Traveling

How To Remain Productive While Traveling At first, its something that youll desperately crave. After all, traveling away with work is effectively a holiday, right? As most of us know, this is rarely the case. The novelty soon wears off and before you know it, youre dreading that next work outing. Were not even talking about the time spent away from your family here either. Most of the grumbles surrounding work travel are about productivity. While sitting behind your desk at the office might sometimes feel mundane, nobody can disagree that its usually productive. Such productivity tends to fly out of the window with a business getaway. Bearing this in mind, this post is going to look at rectifying this once and for all remaining productive while traveling.   Here are some of the best suggestions to ensure that your productivity levels stay right on top on your next business trip. Book the best hotel (not the cheapest) Particularly if you are having to answer to the finance team, this first tip might be difficult to implement. While it really can be tempting to book the cheapest hotel available, attempt to resist the urge and find one that will accommodate your working needs. The ones with spacious meeting areas are obviously going to work best, as are the ones which have the free Wi-Fi, desk space and everything else that will support the business nature of your trip. If youve housed yourself in a tight room, where the Wi-Fi travels at ridiculously low speeds, you are just setting yourself up for a frustrating and unproductive stay. Layovers can work to your advantage Rather than rushing around trying to catch connections, attempt to embrace layovers. If each train or plane departs immediately as the other arrives, youre going to be a frenzied mess. Instead, allow yourself a good 45 minutes following each transport segment.   By doing this, youll not only give yourself more margin for error in case of delays, but you will provide yourself some crucial time to catch up on work. Sure, youre not going to write complete documents in this period, but it might be sufficient to respond to emails and just keep your inbox manageable. Co-ordinate your work with your travels Hopefully, this next suggestion will be fairly obvious for most of you. If you are serious about getting things done while on the road, make sure that all of the projects you are planning for this timeframe are actually feasible. Unless you are away for several days at a time, your time is unlikely to gift you the opportunity to write lengthy reports. Instead, youll be on the move a lot, and this is where those teleconferences can work. The wonders of modern-day technology mean that you can hold these meetings while driving, or even on the train, and tick a usually time-consuming task off your list. Of course, in the midst of all of this you also have to co-ordinate based on what Wi-Fi you have available. This is where you really have to plan, with some people creating travel folders on their laptops which contains all of the files they need so they dont always need that connection.

What Millennials Expect From their Employers

What Millennials Expect From their Employers Millennials are joining the workforce in increasing numbers and will represent nearly 75 percent by 2025.Currently, 40 percent of companies employ 50 or more millennials; however 44 percent of millennials say they will leave their job within two years.This generation is considered the most diverse in U.S. history and has obtained more college degrees than any previous employed generation.evalMillennials also have different values than previous generations and companies need to understand their mindset to be able to attract and retain these employees.While Baby Boomers are looking for job security and structure, millennials want flexibility and employability.Eighty-eight percent of millennials want work-life integration and prefer a collaborative environment over a competitive one. They are tech-savvy, socially conscious and confident.Millennials want to showcase their leadership skills and 40 percent want to derive meaning from their work. With these skills as well as their entrepren eurial mindset, millennials will search for roles that allow them to continually learn and make a difference.Millennials can help companies stay competitive in a changing market, but first they have to attract the right employees.Companies need to offer competitive wages and opportunities for employees to grow within the company, because millennials don’t want to wait three to five years for a promotion.Companies should have an open atmosphere when it comes to business decision to foster trust from employees. Businesses will also want to make work fun, challenging and exciting to keep millennials engaged.evalSince millennials grew up with a lot of structure and measuring systems, they have specific expectations they expect from their employer. In order for companies to retain these individuals they need update their recruiting methods and offer more flexible working environments.To learn more about how you can recruit and retain millennials check out the infographic below created by Pepperdine University ‘s Online Master of Business Administration Program.

LinkedIn Articles For Finding Meaningful Work - Career Enlightenment

4 Steps When Contacting A Stranger On LinkedInI received an info interview request from a stranger as a direct message on  LinkedIn. Despite my very busy schedule, I decided to take his call.  Over the weekend, I asked myself, “Why did I agree?”Let’s take his email apart and put it into four essential elements so you can use them in your own  LinkedIn networking  communications. Networking with strangers on LinkedIn can give you great results if you’re deliberate in the process. Read the rest3 Warning Signals Your LinkedIn Profile Needs Help!For job seekers, missing something small could mean missed opportunities or, worse, like getting blacklisted. And,  to help you determine if you are missing that LinkedIn lint brickâ€"the obvious thing you can’t seeâ€"here are three objective tests you can run. Read the restHow to Find a Job With LinkedIn’s New Search FeatureIn 2012 there were  5.7 billion professionally oriented searches on LinkedIn.  That’s a ton.Since it’s such a popular feature, LinkedIn users demanded a better search experience. Luckily, LinkedIn’s software development team listened and launched an enhanced version of their search technology.  (It happened on March 25. Did you notice?)The good news is this new search makes it easier for recruiters to find you but ONLY if you’ve written your profile correctly.  Here are three ways to leverage LinkedIn’s new search approach. Follow these steps and you’ll improve your profile, and as a result your job search. Read the rest3 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Advance Your Career ChangeLinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools to help you redefine yourself and move your career in a new direction. Taking your career in a new direction is  a bold move that requires framing your proven skills for a whole new purpose. Identify your transferable skills, and then consider the following three  ideas for using LinkedIn to advance your career change. Read the restFollow These 3 LinkedIn Tips if You Rec ently Changed CareersAs a job seeker in 2013, if you have LinkedIn, youre lucky.Ten  years ago when I changed careers and left the solar industry, I didn’t have LinkedIn as a personal branding tool.  Nowadays, many job seekers have the same issue because they don’t know how to properly use LinkedIn to their advantage. Well, good thing you’re reading this article.Here are three ways to tweak your LinkedIn profile so you can better communicate what you WANT to be doing so you move away from what you USED to be doing. Read the rest3 Easy Steps to Finding a Job With LinkedIn’s New Contact AppI receive a fair amount of requests for LinkedIn recommendations, and I usually oblige without hesitation. However, a recent e-mail from an old colleague  made me realize there are plenty of “networkers” out there who just don’t get it.If only this “dear friend” of mine knew about the new  LinkedIn Contact  product.  Had he known, he may have received more than a laugh from me. He may have actually gotten his recommendation.  All LinkedIn users need to follow these three tips to stay current and ask for help more skillfully. Read the restWatch Joshua Waldman’s exclusive video “3 Secrets to Getting Job Interviews by Next Week” to learn the 3 secrets no one wants you to know about getting hired in today’s job market. Joshua is the founder of Career Enlightenment which offers  professional LinkedIn profile writing  and job search services to colleges, WorkForce offices and re-entering veterans.

Top Tech Skills for College Students What You Need to Know to Succeed in School - CareerAlley

Top Tech Skills for College Students What You Need to Know to Succeed in School - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Getting to college is a journey. A student must do well in classes, fill-out applications, write essays, etc. In some cases, an adult gains experience before heading to college. Regardless, in some cases, essential skills are not learned or improved. In some cases, high school students may have access to computers but with limited resources and teachers who can relay top tech skills. If youre headed toward a higher degree, heres what you need to know to succeed. Basic Office There was a time when office referred to WordPerfect, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each has its own purpose: writing, stats and number crunching, and presentation. Its suggested that college bound students get familiar with similar software since professors may require reports and homework be typed or presented. Search Engine Its not strange for some to misunderstand what a search engine is and does. Some incorrectly use the term Google interchangeably with the Internet. Google is a search engine (on the Internet) that helps people find information. Its essential that students become familiar with using search engines (Yahoo, Bing, etc) and feel confident about finding information within university or educational-based databases (JSTOR for example). Online Tools Students must grow familiar with and engage in related technology, such as attending online seminars, video conferencing with professors and peers, and using multimedia to enhance learning or compose assignments. In some cases, entire degrees are earned online, which means the student is totally reliant on their ability to learn and use software, apps, etc. Typing and Editing Skills While a majority knows how to type, few know how to quickly navigate through documents, edit, or use advanced features of related software. Knowing how to type is a minimal skill; successful college students are skilled typists and efficient in using advanced features. Check Typisto to test and develop your typing skills further. Online Communication As mentioned, students may need to attend online seminars or video conference with professors. Theres also a need to mention that students are efficient in receiving and sending email as well as appropriate in composing messages to professors and other professionals. Furthermore, some teachers may require students to create their own websites, join and participate in forums, or read and comment on class related content, which all necessitate time and learning. Security Awareness With increased technological participation comes vulnerability. Ten years ago, identity theft was a rare occurrence. Today, many students use online resources to buy goods and services and use online tools (dating sites, etc.) Students must be wary of exposing vital information along with that of peers or professors. Free Resources In some cases, you may need stats or pictures to supplement assignments. Therefore, a student will need to know where to find free and legal resources to meet demands. For example, its not legal to use an image from a website without the consent of the webmaster or the owner of the picture. While it would be inconvenient to ask for consent, plenty of websites offer free and legal to use images. Josh Scott has worked as a careers consultant with students and young people for several years. Helping them to hone their skills, he shares useful tips and tricks in his articles to help you get the job you want. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search