Focusing more on the negativity spreads it like wildfire.  Instead, try cutting it up once and for all by turning it around and handling it with positivity.  But how?  Here are some tips on how to minimize work place negativity:

• Open communication – Oftentimes, negativity spreads because of miscommunication. One employee misunderstood another employee and because of this misunderstanding, negativity affected the employee’s work and output.  Instead of focusing on the misunderstanding that occurred, focus on how to make amends and have proper understanding between employees.

Open communication is a means of reaching proper understanding.  It welcomes giving and receiving feedback in a timely manner which in turn prevents misunderstanding.

Open communication is also a way of keeping employees informed of what’s happening in the organization.  It’s a means of saying that employees are important, and they have the right to know and get involved.

• Practice trust – Negativity happens when one employee has suspicious thinking about another. Because of this suspicion, anything that this suspected employee does seems to be doubtful and other employees wait and see what happens next and they always expect a negative result.  Since they are all thinking that the employee cannot be trusted, even if the employee does something good, they still can’t believe that.  They think that it’s too good to be true and there must be something bad hidden somewhere.

Trusting people tames the negativity.  Trust that other employees are working hard and would want to provide quality work just like you do.

• RESPECT – Employees turn negative when they feel disrespected by their co-workers and most especially by their boss. Everyone wants to be respected and the most common fear of people is being put to shame publicly. Once this happens, negativity will be all over the place.

Respect is not only for the bosses but for all employees.  Subordinates, colleagues and bosses have to be respected at all times.  Each employee will have a positive experience if everyone feels respected.

• Celebrate performance – Negativity occurs when an employee feels that all his efforts are put to waste. He gave his best to finish a project and after that no one has recognized his work instead some minimal inconsistencies have been highlighted.

Celebrate performance and acknowledge people’s hard work.  Providing proper rewards and recognition turns away negativity.  Employees experience fulfillment instead of negativity after finishing a challenging project.

Negativity starts with one employee and it spreads because other employees entertain the negativity.  Positivity also starts with one employee and it spreads when other employees embrace the positivity.  You have a choice whether to spread negativity or positivity in your organization.

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Different people have different opinions, experiences and goals.  These are brought along by each individual member of the team   .  The challenge is how to build a successful team despite all the differences.

A team is a group of individuals who work together on a specific task or project.

Belonging to a team means being part of something greater than yourself.  Being a member of the team means contributing to the overall achievement of the organization.

Here’s a list of secret ingredients to having a successful team:

• Clear Expectations – Team leaders communicating clearly the expectations or desired outcomes to each team member is a key to building a successful team.
• Commitment – Each team member is committed to complete the project.
• Context – Each team member understands the team’s importance in the accomplishment of the overall organizational goals.
• Competence – Each team member has the knowledge and skills to perform his task.
• Control – Each team member is empowered to perform his task while understanding the boundaries.
• Communication – Each team member is open to giving and receiving feedback.
• Consequences – Each team member is supplied with rewards and recognition when the team is successful.
• Coordination – Each team member coordinates with each other under the direction of the team leader.
• Culture Change – Each team member embraces changes that enhance the organizational culture.
• Creative Innovation – Each team member gives importance to creative thinking and new ideas.

Engaged team members take responsibility to deliver successful projects, products, services and relationships.  Thus, creating a work environment that fosters and recognizes team work is important.

Different people have different opinions, experiences and goals.  These are brought along by each individual member of the team   .  The challenge is how to build a successful team despite all the differences.

A team is a group of individuals who work together on a specific task or project.  Team members unite to reach a common goal.  Teams are created to encourage participation among individuals in terms of planning, problem solving and decision making.  Increased participation increases employee engagement.

Belonging to a team means being part of something greater than yourself.  Understanding the objectives of the organization is important.  Being a member of the team means contributing to the overall achievement of the organization.

Here’s a list of secret ingredients to having a successful team:

• Clear Expectations – Team leaders communicating clearly the expectations or desired outcomes to each team member is a key to building a successful team. It is important that at the start of the project each team member understands the purpose of the team.
• Commitment – Each team member is committed to complete the project. Whatever has been started will be completed.  What has been expected will be delivered.
• Context – Each team member understands the team’s importance in the accomplishment of the overall organizational goals. A team member’s work contributes to the team’s goals.  A team’s work contributes to the organizational goals.
• Competence – Each team member has the knowledge and skills to perform his task. If a team member does not have the appropriate knowledge and skills, he knows that he has access to the help and support needed.
• Control – Each team member is empowered to perform his task while understanding the boundaries. Scope and limitations are defined at the start of the project.  Team’s reporting relations, management and responsibility are understood by all team members.
• Communication – Each team member is open to giving and receiving feedback. Important business news and information are communicated promptly.  Varied points of view are brought to the table.  Necessary disputes are disclosed and managed.
• Consequences – Each team member is supplied with rewards and recognition when the team is successful. Both team and individual performance are recognized.  Team members focus on issue resolution rather than blaming others.
• Coordination – Each team member coordinates with each other under the direction of the team leader. The concept of internal customer is being practiced.  A customer and process-focused organization is being developed.
• Culture Change – Each team member embraces changes that enhance the organizational culture. Past failures are used for learning.  Team support is important and can be taken as an investment to having an effective team that produces effective results.
• Creative Innovation – Each team member gives importance to creative thinking and new ideas. Tolerable risks are taken to make enhancements.  Training is provided to motivate new ideas.

A team’s work contributes effectively to the business success.  Engaged team members take responsibility to deliver successful projects, products, services and relationships.  They exert effort to make the business grow and succeed, taking the business as their own.  Thus, creating a work environment that fosters and recognizes team work is important.

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Employers expect that their employees are productive and deliver at a minimum what are expected from them.  Productivity is expected but the reality is that productivity is quite difficult to maintain.  Employees during the early part of a project tend to be productive but in the latter part productivity wavers.

Here are some productivity pitfalls that affect employment:

• Procrastination – is putting off doing something that needs to be done. A project that is due in two weeks will not be done until the due date.  Some people procrastinate due to lack of time or anxiety in dealing with a certain task, but some people are habitual procrastinators.  These people really wait until the last minute before they start doing what needs to be done.  They think that there’s a certain adrenaline rush and pressure that makes them more productive during the last minute and beating the deadline is treated like a game.
• Perfectionism – is a disposition where anything short of perfection is unacceptable. It’s a personality trait that leads to setting very high-performance standards, critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ opinions.  Perfectionism is counter-productive as it leads to a person not wanting to delegate a task, rather for that person to do all the tasks on his own.  After all, if you want a task done right, then do it yourself.  This is a perfectionist’s motto which defies teamwork.
• Distraction – is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. Distraction can also be a person, place or event that redirects a person’s attention from a task at hand to another thing.  Distraction keeps you from being productive by wasting your time in entertaining distractions.
• Boredom – is experienced when someone is left without anything to do or when someone is not interested in his surroundings or when someone feels that a day is dull. Boredom in the workplace leads to job dissatisfaction and disengaged employees which affect productivity.

These pitfalls can be avoided and should be avoided at all costs as these affect employment and may lead to losing your job.  Here are some ways to avoid these pitfalls:

• Procrastination
  1. Create a to-do list
  2. Complete unpleasant tasks first
  3. Set deadlines for tasks both short-term and long-term
• Perfectionism
  1. Delegate tasks to others
  2. Stop comparing your work with other’s work
  3. Acknowledge that there are different ways to solve a problem
  4. Set deadlines for projects
• Distraction
  1. Politely tell people that you are working on a deadline
  2. Avoid surfing for pleasure
  3. Create a to-do list
  4. Avoid people, place or thing that steals your attention
• Boredom
  1. Ask for work
  2. Be proactive
  3. Collaborate with coworkers

These are just a few things that can help an employee to avoid the common pitfalls in employment.  In the end, it is still the employee’s decision whether to be productive at all costs or to be unproductive sometimes.  What’s important is that the employee is aware that there is a pit that he might fall into is he keeps on doing what he’s done in the past without proper self-evaluation.

Reshali Balasubramaniam

Head of HR, HR Counselor and adviser at https://jobpal.lk/and EFutureTech Systems. Submit your resume online and be contacted by prospective employers.

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In situations where a company has an open position, a company has two options to fill in the vacancy: through internal recruitment or through external recruitment.

Internal recruitment means that the company will fill in the vacancy with resource coming from its current pool of talents.

Some of the advantages of internal recruitment are as follows:

• Selection process is fast and easy.
• It is cost efficient.
• You already know the candidate’s capabilities and performance.
• Lower attrition risk.

Some of the disadvantages of internal recruitment are as follows:

• It hinders new ideas coming from the outside.
• It limits the number of potential candidates to choose from.
• Another vacancy is created when the candidate takes the new role.

External recruitment means that the company will fill in the vacancy with resource coming from outside the company.

Some advantages of external recruitment are as follows:

• It brings in new ideas and new talent to the company.
• Unlimited number of candidates to choose from.
• It is less likely to cause resentment among employees.

Some of the disadvantages of external recruitment are as follows:

• It is more expensive.
• Selection process is longer.
• It is more challenging for the company to evaluate the candidate.

Whichever recruitment option your company chooses, the key is to ensure that you fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of both options to make sure that your choice works best for the company both rationally and economically.

Recruitment Options

In situations where a company has an open position, a company has two options to fill in the vacancy.  It is either through internal recruitment or through external recruitment.

Internal Recruitment

Internal recruitment means that the company will fill in the vacancy with resource coming from its current pool of talents.  It can be through a promotion or through transfers within the company.  Transfer here pertains to a horizontal or lateral movement of an employee from one position to another without changes in the salary.

Advantages of Internal Recruitment

• Selection process is fast and easy since the pool of candidates to choose from is smaller.
• It is cost efficient, saving the company from job advertisement and / or recruiter’s fees.
• Since the candidate is an existing employee you already know the candidate’s capabilities and performance.
• Promotion is a way of engaging employees to stay in the company and motivating them to work hard as they know that they are being recognized and rewarded.
• Lower attrition risk, as you know that the candidate is engaged in the company, adapts to the company culture and can work well with the rest of the team.

Disadvantages of Internal Recruitment

• It hinders new ideas coming from the outside.
• It limits the number of potential candidates to choose from.
• Another vacancy is created when the candidate takes the new role.
• It may cause resentment among employees not chosen.
• It may create an atmosphere where employees feel that they only have a chance to get promoted when a senior employee leaves.

External Recruitment

External recruitment means that the company will fill in the vacancy with resource coming from outside the company.  It can be through the company’s recruitment team, job advertisement or headhunters.

Advantages of External Recruitment

• It brings in new ideas and new talent to the company.
• Unlimited number of candidates to choose from.
• The company will be introduced to a more distinct set of skills and experiences.
• It is less likely to cause resentment among employees.

Disadvantages of External Recruitment

• It is more expensive as the company will incur costs on job advertisement and / or recruiter’s fees.
• Selection process is longer since the pool of candidates to choose from is larger.
• It is more challenging for the company to evaluate the candidate as you have no proven experience on the candidates’ capabilities and performance.
• The selection process may not be efficient enough to uncover the best candidate that will fit in the company culture and can work well with the rest of the team.

Whether your company chooses to recruit internally or externally will be based on the framework and current situation of the company.  If you have a talent whom you are confident that will be the best fit for the role, internal recruitment makes sense.  However, if there is no current talent that stands out then it is best to do external recruitment.

Whichever recruitment option your company chooses, the key is to ensure that you fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of both options to make sure that your choice works best for the company both rationally and economically.

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Summary

After the long search and application, finally your resume stood out and you got an invitation for a job interview.  Congratulations!  It means that you have already set one foot on the door to your dream job.  But don’t celebrate that much yet, you still have to prove that what was written on your resume is true.  Whatever made your application noticeable should stay true when you get to meet them in person.  Keep the ball rolling.  Come to that first interview prepared and ready to impress them.  Wow them not just with your talents and skills but also with your winning attitude and personality.  Below are some tips gathered over time and experience to help you prepare for your first job interview:

• Research on the company.
• Review your resume.
• Look forward.
• Dress for success.
• Put your best face forward.
• Be on time.
• Prepare to ask.

These 7 tips will get you ready for your first interview.  You may agree that this list is good but not until you apply them to your next job interview will you testify that this is indeed helpful.  Your goal is to land that job and to achieve your goal you have to take steps to take you closer to achieving your goal.  Preparing for the job interview is one of these steps.  Don’t be afraid to take that step.  So, for now keep calm and ace that job interview.  Good luck to you!

Getting ready for your first interview

After the long search and application, finally your resume stood out and you got an invitation for a job interview.  Congratulations!  It means that you have already set one foot on the door to your dream job.  But don’t celebrate that much yet, you still have to prove that what was written on your resume is true.  Whatever made your application noticeable should stay true when you get to meet them in person.  Come to that first interview prepared and ready to impress them.  Here are some tips on how to get ready for your first interview:

• Research on the company. It’s good to know the company that you’re applying to first.  Understand their mission and be familiar with their core values.  Knowing what they are doing and who their clients are is a plus.  The interviewer would notice that you are indeed interested in joining their company and you value their company.  If you could research on your interviewer, that would be an advantage as well.

• Review your resume. Relive your greatest achievements in your past projects and the greatest challenges that you have faced and managed to overcome.  Since you will be interviewed be prepared to answer questions regarding your past.

• Look forward. Aside from reliving the past, you also have to come to your interview with a vision.  Interviewers would want to know what your personal goals are and if your goals are aligned to the company’s goals.  They want to know if you can contribute to the success of the company.

• Dress for success. Make sure that you dress professionally and neatly during the interview.  Prepare your clothes the night before and make sure it’s crisp and clean.  Wearing something great boosts your confidence.

• Put your best face forward. Look neat and clean from head to toe.  The little things matter when you are in a job interview.  Basically, you are selling yourself to the company, so you should look attractive and worthy of a job offer.  This is not just about your talent or skills, your attitude and personality matters as well.  So, make sure to carry yourself well and observe your non-verbal cues.

• Be on time. Being on time for a job interview gives you an advantage as you have enough time to retouch and relax prior the interview.  It also adds to your professionalism.  Being late gives you stress and makes you lose some brownie points.  It also mirrors how you would be as an employee with potential attendance issues in the future.

• Prepare to ask. After the interview, you are given the opportunity to ask questions.  Prepare relevant questions for your interviewer.  Make them specific questions that would show that you are really interested in the job and in the company.

There you have it, 7 tips to get you ready for your first interview.  As the saying goes: There’s always a first time.  But for job interviews, make sure this first time will not be your last time.  Leave a good impression, an impression that will welcome you to your dream job and start your career rolling.  So, for now take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

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Talent acquisition has developed over the years.  From posting of open positions outside the office building, to the use of newspaper ads, to online job portals and the use of social media.  Application has changed as well from walk-in application to online application, even interviews can be done face-to-face through video call.  Distance is no longer an issue when it comes to processing an application.  Technology has played a big role in the changes impacting talent acquisition.

Searching for the perfect fit is now easier thanks to artificial intelligence.  Talents can be searched from a database and job matching can be done in one click.  Everything is now available at the tip of one’s fingers.  An employer can just click and post an opening through different job portals.  A candidate can just click and apply for a position.  One click and you’re done with the application.  Even without actively looking for a new job, a potential candidate can be sourced through social media accounts like LinkedIn.

Let’s take a closer look at online job portals.  These portals are helpful for both employers and candidates.  Employers can easily post an open position, provide all the necessary information – job description, requirements and expectations, and indicate a timeline for filling-in the position.  The job posting will automatically close by the time indicated in the timeline.  Employers can post specific questions to potential applicants when applying.  They can also put some filters that can help them funnel the applicants.  Employers can immediately view profiles of applicants through the job portal.  No need to contact the applicant and wait for the applicant to submit a resume.  Use of online job portals is also a way of advertising the company to potential employees.  Information about the company, its core values and benefits can be posted on the job portal.  It can attract potential employees to apply to the company.

Candidates can easily look for a job using online job portals.  Job portals provide recommendations where a list of relevant jobs based on the candidate’s profile and previous applications are displayed.  Once an attractive position and company shows up, candidate can just click to apply.  Profiles can be easily updated to highlight skills and experience.  Application can be done to multiple companies and positions.  Job portals also do suggestions wherein after successfully applying it will provide a list of other open positions that are similar to the one that the candidate has applied for.  Candidate can filter the open positions by location, salary and other relevant criteria.  Job portals are also easy to use, updating applicant profile is just like updating a social media profile.

Truly, talent acquisition has never been easier and exciting than today.  With all the tools readily available, recruitment is as easy as 1-2-3.  Job application is as quick as adding a friend in social media.  With all the data readily available, they can be used to study trends and do forecasting.  More improvements to talent acquisition are predicted in the future if we continue with the current trend we have today.

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In the recent years, talent acquisition has undergone major changes. With the growing popularity of online job portals, it has become easier to seek talent. But it has made recruitment a more comprehensive process as applicants are becoming more divided across the web. Though every other company is using social media or online job portals as tool to recruitment in today’s increasingly competitive talent industry but it is becoming tougher to get a response from candidates. So what should a hiring manager like you do to succeed? The answer lies in getting updated with the latest trends in talent acquisition. This will not only let you develop the best recruiting strategies but also help you hire the best talent in the industry.

Enhance candidate engagement and experience

Recruiting has evolved more as a transactional process rather than being impersonal.  Thanks to the rise of internet and online job portals. Applicants appreciate interaction, transparency and interpersonal communication in the hiring process. They are active and go through the content written about the company before applying to the job.

• Employer branding strategies

Optimising your employer branding skill is a must to funnel the best talent to your organisation. Follow an honest approach and share the top employer profiles and content related to the work culture of your organisation.

• Make use of technology

The concept of manual labour has been completely eradicated with the use of technology. Online portals have been proved as a blessing to find the best talent in the industry. These technologies can help recruiters to stores profiles and other crucial information, give time to connect with the candidates and also aid in developing a strong talent pipeline for the company.

• Use trending marketing tactics to target applicants

With applicants dispersed across social media, you need to incorporate multi-channel approach to reach out the desired candidates.  Screening and engaging with your clients become indispensable in order to find the best talent. If you want to captivate the attention from candidates, you need to evolve your content strategy. Creating videos of success stories, projects, work culture, using impressive formats such as blogs and e-books are some of the appealing steps to arrest the attention.

Online job portals play a major role in talent acquisition. These online portals have revolutionized the recruitment landscape increasing the efficiency of the hiring process. Candidates can easily find jobs online through numerous online job portals that are available round the clock. You will certainly understand the significance of online job portals after knowing its few benefits-

• The major benefit of online job portals is that they are cost-effective. You can search and apply jobs online without paying any fee.
• One of the amazing features of the online job portal is to maintain confidentiality of the job seekers.
• Online job portals offer you a sea of endless jobs.
• Provide facility of regular job notification.

There is also a paradigm shift in the way employers have started recruiting talent. The credit goes to the value, efficacy and easy-to-use online job portals. In the quest of skilled candidates, online job portal has become and inevitable part of the hiring process. The benefits of online job portals to employers-

• E-recruitment allows for immediate real-time interaction and 24*7 hiring activity that in turn saves time.
• Posting jobs and searching for candidates on job portals save cost-of-hire.
• Online job portals provide wider reach for employers.
• Offer state-of-the-art filtration tools.
• Allow employers to use sophisticated management tools to submit jobs online.
• Allows for confidentiality.
• Employers can save profiles of prospective candidates for future use.

Online job portals have only made it possible for employers to hire and job seekers to search for jobs in short time span. Due to the internet penetration ever skyrocketing and need of professional mobility, this medium is definitely here to stay.

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