Showing posts with label Career Opportunities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Career Opportunities. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

Highly engaged employees were found to be 26 percent more productive than their disengaged peers.  How does this affect the bottom line for companies? One study found an increase in total returns of 13 percent.  Increasingly employees are looking for value and meaningful recognition that has no price tag.
So what exactly is motivating employee productivity?  Recognition, Opportunity and Relationships.

Recognition: Positive feedback is instant recognition you can give to an employee that will give them a sense of pride.  How does this help productivity? Your employee knows that you appreciate their efforts.  According to the USNews.com article, How to Give Positive Feedback at Work, identify how your employee’s efforts made a positive impact on the team and the organization.  One study suggests that recognizing employee’s strengths encourages their team to thrive.

Opportunity: Giving employees the opportunity to use the skills they have helps them develop and take their skills to the next level.  Encouraging a lifelong learning culture can take your company a long way.  According to the smallbusiness.chron.com article, Effects of Training on Employee Performance, training enhances morale on the job and can even increase employee loyalty—two important motivators of productivity.

Relationships: Leadership is not always easy.  Engaging employees can be a challenge.  The key is finding ways to inspire your employees.  Communication has been and always will be a major component of all relationships from top level management to individual team members.  Open, honest communication must be a priority in business.  Once you have your communication down, how do you get your team to adopt your goals?  According to the study, Management Leadership and Productivity Improvement Programs, management needs to focus on goals that matter.  Management support for Education and Training, Empowerment, and Reward Systems can be used to motivate employees and employees who feel that their leadership cares are more productive.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Volunteering: Helping a Cause and Your Career

As we move closer to the holidays many of us will consider volunteering for various organizations.  If you have never volunteered before, you should.  Not only does volunteering make everyone involved feel good, but while you help a good cause, you also have an opportunity to add to your resume or enhance your current position.

When volunteering you can choose to donate your time in an area related to your current position, where your skills and expertise can be useful, or you may choose an entirely different area where you can develop new skills, abilities, knowledge, and work experience.  Volunteering is an opportunity not just to serve the greater good, but to explore other interests.  It can also be a way to learn and develop leadership skills.

You also have an opportunity to expand your network.  Volunteering exposes you to other organizations, businesses and employment fields.  You never know who you may meet while volunteering.  The people you meet during your volunteer experiences will come from all walks of life.  Networking with these people can be an added bonus to your service.  Building professional contacts as well as social relationships with other volunteers can lead to employment leads and opportunities.

In the Forbes article, “Proof That Volunteering Pays Off For Job Hunters”, Nancy Collamer stated, “...when you volunteer, you gain access to people you might not otherwise meet, creating opportunities to develop positive relationships outside a traditional work environment.

In a study published last year by the Corporation for National and Community Service, it was reported that volunteering was associated with a 27% greater odds of employment.  Volunteerism can be used as a strategy to obtain new job opportunities, especially for recent graduates and others who are re-entering the workforce.

The reason is suggested by another study conducted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, “Does It Pay to Volunteer? The Relationship Between Volunteer Work and Paid Work” which concluded that “The volunteer experience conveys information to potential employers about the job applicant’s abilities, such as motivation, initiative, creativity, and reliability. This makes volunteering particularly relevant for job applicants with limited prior employment experiences, such as recent graduates entering the job market, and individuals who are re-entering the labor market after a longer break.”

So as the holidays near, look for the opportunity not only to help in your community, but to help in your career.  It is a win-win.

Find volunteer opportunities here: