Good for the ego

Having an ‘ego’ is often seen as something negative, especially in business. I think we’ve all been guilty at some time of saying something along the lines of: ‘Don’t work for them, the director has such an ego!’

Alter ego

However, those in psychological circles will know that the ego is actually something to be celebrated. Sigmund Freud heralded the ego as being ‘the rational part of the psyche’. It uses reason to control our overly impulsive (Id) and overly tentative (Superego) behaviours. Think of it as the mediator between the devil and angel on your shoulders.

Egocentric

The ego is our conscious self, and it’s the way we think about ourselves and how we wish to project this to others. Many people that I’ve worked with at the executive level are often apologetic about the fact that their loss or change of job title has ‘hurt their ego’. The fact that they are apologetic makes it seem that this shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad thing.

Many of these clients have humble roots, so why shouldn’t they strive for a high level role because of their ambition and intellect, and why shouldn’t they be upset if that is removed? If the ego is our ‘self’, it’s no surprise that many who invest so much into their careers feel lost when their job title or business is stripped away, and so much of my role is helping someone regain their confidence – be it their feelings of self-worth or confidence that they can move on again with their career.

Ego boost

Hand in hand with having an ego is someone also being seen as selfish. As the director of my own business, and facilitator to many others in business, I’ve attended several Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) lectures, and one key surprising take-away was that being selfish can actually be a good thing.

The dictionary defines someone who is ‘selfish’ as person who is only concerned with themselves. While ruthlessness shouldn’t have any place in business, it sometimes pays to be a little selfish. None of us would be where we are now if we hadn’t put our all into that job interview, that role, or setting up a business. And if we look after ourselves and fulfil our own self-care needs, we can give our best to others.

So maybe it’s time we changed our way of thinking and start putting our ‘self’ first and seeing the ego as a good thing.

 

 

Experience and wisdom – a subtle difference

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between experience and wisdom. People can have the same experiences but not learn from them – whilst others develop wisdom and insight as a result of their experiences. Everyone has experience, but wisdom comes from such aspects as self-reflection, admitting and owning mistakes, and learning from them. You should then be able to apply the lessons learned in a positive way.

Using your knowledge wisely

I often think to myself that I’ve got more wisdom to give now, for many different reasons. Being older, certainly, is a factor. Wisdom is often associated with age, but it’s not a prerequisite. I’ve lived through a lot and have seen many changes. The older you get, the more likely you are to be able to be a good judge of people or to read situations – you’d like to think. Having worked in many different situations with many different people, you find yourself understanding and taking on information and experiences from all quarters. Once acquired, knowledge can also be applied incorrectly. There is a maxim: “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing that you don’t put tomato in a fruit salad”.

New insights

Wisdom isn’t necessarily just about qualifications – although letters and accreditations after your name are a good sign of experience gained throughout a career. There are many ways that you can gain knowledge through training and education, and continuous learning which is relevant will always add value. Many of my clients come from diverse backgrounds and learning about them and their sectors continually gives me a fresh insight every day. Each sector is subtly different, and each offers new insights.

 Specialist knowledge

Outside of knowledge and wisdom, specialisms are what make us all different – the broader range of experience we have, the stronger our offering and skillset becomes. Also, some of my less positive life experiences have made me stronger too. These can come from both your work and personal sides of your life. For example, job loss was certainly a positive for me, in being able to give a depth of empathy to clients who were dealing with outplacement, because now I understand it more. Having the experience of outplacement taught me the wisdom to deal with others experiencing it too.

Dress code – it’s all about standards!

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There’s an old adage often thrown around in business, especially when interviewing or starting a new job: ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.’ The way we are first perceived by peers and employers often comes down to the way we are dressed.

Of course, it’s important to dress well for an interview, even if held online, so a smart blouse or dress or shirt and tie can never go amiss when you wish to make that all important good first impression.

However, workwear has generally become more casual across the board, and it used to be that companies would have ‘dress down Fridays’, but now that kind of informal wear seems to be the everyday choice for many offices. This can cause confusion and uncertainty for people as to how to dress when starting a new job.

You don’t want to be overdressed – ie. in a suit or smart dress when everyone else is wearing t-shirts and jeans – on your first day, as it shows that you don’t understand the business. Equally, being underdressed – ie. in a t-shirt and jeans when everyone wears skirts, dresses and heels, or suits, shirts and ties – can come across to others that you’re lacking enthusiasm and motivation.

Both situations are less than ideal when you want to make a good first and lasting impression in your new role.

Dress for success

Carefully consider how you dress, not just on your first day, but every day. Dressing well and suitably for your place of work can send powerful messages about how you respect and value your job and the business. You are also more likely to be considered for increased responsibility and for promotions, showing that if you take your appearance seriously, you will be taken seriously at work too.

Not only is it important to be dressed well to impress others with influence at work, there have been studies conducted into the psychology of clothes, which have found that the way we dress can also impact our mental and physical performance at work.

There is also a greater acceptance of the fluidity of choice of clothes by an individual, to dress more femininely or masculinely depending on how they identify, and although it’s not necessarily true that ‘clothes maketh the person’, I always find that the more confident you feel in what you’re wearing, the more confident you will be in yourself.

So how you dress really does matter, both to be, and to be perceived, as someone with credibility and therefore someone who matters.

What to wear

Of course, how you might be expected to dress can also depend on your role and industry, and the difference between formal or informal wear might just be part of the territory. Suits and ties are still very much hand-in-hand with the legal and banking industry, whereas for the more creative industries, like web development and game design, jeans and trainers are more the norm.

If you’re looking to climb the career ladder, it’ll do no harm to pay attention to what senior-role people of the business are wearing, and aspire to their level.

However, don’t wear yourself over what to wear. If in doubt, you can never go wrong with smart casual.

Will you ever get another job?

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We’ve all felt a bit like this at one time or another – you have been sending out CVs and job applications, but to no avail. Sometimes you’re not even sure that your prospective employers have even seen or read your application, as it’s usually submitted electronically these days and simply vanishes off into the ether. As a result, some of my clients – and I completely understand this – feel that they’re never going to get another job.

A guiding hand

But although job hunting can seem to be a slog sometimes and there are no rewards, there will always be hope at the end of the tunnel. So, my answer to anyone who is getting downhearted is simple: “If one of their friends lost their job, would they agree with the same sentiment?” And the answer is always a resounding ‘no’.

No matter how long you are left waiting, it’s absurd to think you are going to be unemployed for the rest of your life. However, it can be hard to listen and apply our own advice that we would freely give others to our own situations. In this way, as Consultants, we’re here to ensure that we become that voice and supporter of your situation. We can offer guidance, but also support to keep morale up during times when you may be doubting yourself.

A measured approach

A measured approach is always best when searching for a job. Set realistic objectives and also define timescales and effort to be expended too. Time spent on applications should not become all-consuming. Time is valuable and can be better spent on other areas of career development.

You might need to ask yourself whether you are being realistic in the roles you are applying for and if this is the reason you are not finding a new role as quickly as you’d like. Or, are the roles you are applying for very popular ones that are attracting too many applicants? Many people want to pursue the dream of working from home full-time now, while others seek a hybrid model. Some jobs simply won’t offer a ‘work from home’ option – if the role is carried out at a public-facing premises, for example, such as health or care scenarios. Decide the work-life balance you’d like to strike and ensure the roles you’re looking at truly reflect that.

Time is the essence

Time not expended on over-tuning applications and overthinking career choices can be better spent on honing your CV profile, practicing your interview technique – or even expanding your horizons and knowledge with new training or learning. The job market is a highly-competitive area and it’s important to stand out from the crowd. You know you are the ideal candidate for the role, but does your CV spell this out? It’s often worth tailoring your CV to each individual role. Sometimes, that little bit of extra effort will make all the difference in the long run – and make sure that you don’t get into a lengthy cycle of anxiousness and self-doubt on your journey to your next role.

 

New Year, New CV!

At the beginning of a new year, we often think about new starts and new ambitions. I always advise my clients to ensure that their CVs are kept up-to-date all year around, but a new year gives new impetus and a chance to draw a line under the past. It’s important to get the tone right in your profile. You need to look closely at how you word your CV, the language you use and if that language is a true reflection of yourself and your values.

True reflections

I’m working with a client at the moment who had already prepared a CV with another Consultant. My client voiced the concern to me that she was not entirely happy about some of the language used – e.g. words such as ‘robust’. As she’d been advised by a professional to put them in, she had taken the advice, but was uncomfortable. Was she tough but fair and robust? She didn’t think so.

This is often the case, as advice often steers decisions. If someone who is a professional provides guidance and assistance, then a client tends to follow it. This shouldn’t always be the case, however. A client should never feel uncomfortable about any word in their CV. I always reiterate to my clients that it’s their CV, not mine, and they should feel confident with it. It’s something that has to represent them to potential employers. If the true you isn’t reflected in the text of the CV, then it will be difficult to prove your worth when they employ you and discover there’s a disparity between page and person. This is why you should never let other people put their words into your mouth, because it won’t be a fair representation of you and might even get you the wrong type of role.

Your personal brand

It’s also a two-way challenge. What I may suggest can be challenged by the client, to make sure we get everything across, but in the right context. In this way, the CV will be illustrative of the person, their experience, their qualifications and their aptitude for the role. If the role requires a ‘tough but fair’ person, with a ‘robust’ character, then make sure you have these qualities – or perhaps that particular role isn’t for you. It’s always a challenge to make a really strong CV, one that will convince prospective employers of their candidate’s strengths and breadth of knowledge. You can always learn new skills and evolve in ways that may need demonstrating in your CV, which is why updating is so important.

The new year is such a good time to dust down that CV. Just ensure that it’s a proper reflection of your personal brand.

 

‘Tis the season to be jolly!

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We all love a jolly get together and Christmas time is the perfect excuse. Christmas is an important time for bonding and bringing the team together and the end-of-year party is a great time to encourage enthusiasm for the year ahead. Enjoying a Christmas celebration together is a way to say thank you to all the team for their hard work and when you organise a fun experience at Christmas, the team will remember and respond to the gesture with loyalty and hard work.

Forget all your worries

It’s been a difficult year for many with the ever-rising cost of living and flexibility in the workplace since the pandemic means many of the team work separately some are back in the office, whilst other’s work from home. Its all fragmented and a get together for the whole office can bring the team together. This is good for team morale, and it should also be noted it’s a good idea to bring the team together other times of the year not just Christmas. Rewarding a team with a party shows that you appreciate all the commitment and ongoing hard work.

Team bonding

In work, you often spend as much time with your co-workers as you may do at home with your spouse and loved ones. Therefore, it’s important for everyone to have the opportunity to build good relationships with their co-workers too.

Socialising at work helps to strengthen the quality of workplace relationships, which enables the team to work together better. The development of good relationships in the workplace can increase employer morale; co-workers look forward to spending time with one another while they do their jobs. A happy and well-adjusted workforce is a productive one. When employees feel connected to a workplace, whether because they enjoy their work or consider the workforce to be like a second family, they will be less likely to want to seek employment elsewhere.

Office party etiquette

Office get togethers are a great opportunity to bring people together, but such events are not without their risks – particularly when a vast amount of free alcohol is provided. Its good for people to feel they can be themselves without the office and professional façade, however you still need to remain professional. It is not a time and place to bring out your challenges and frustrations about work – that should be done in the office.

Ultimately, a popping champagne cork, dancing in front to the Christmas tree, turkey dinners and socialising with a team of work mates and colleagues. Socialising at work helps to strengthen the quality of workplace relationships, which enables the team to work together better. Christmas is an important time for bonding and bringing the team together.

Welcome back – how to make a return to the office feel like a welcome decision

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In the wake of the Covid pandemic, many businesses are still juggling employees either solely working from home, working in the office, or a hybrid combination of the two. With its impact finally receding, for many companies it can make sense from a business perspective to encourage employees back into the workplace. However, with the challenge of re-adapting – for some people after nearly four years – how can you make this notion feel like a welcome return rather than an unwelcome regression?

Fail to plan, plan to fail

Throwing out a blanket ‘one size fits all’ command that all staff must return to the office will inevitably be met with confusion and resentment. Not to mention, staff feeling forced into returning will be detrimental to their mental health. Being open and honest and giving the reasons why you wish for all staff to return to the office will help build trust. It will also go a long way towards having a happier returning workforce.

We’ve discussed before in a previous article of the importance of employee engagement, and how retaining your existing staff is money much better spent than in recruiting new team members. Not to mention the business time lost in the training of new staff, which can impact productivity levels across the business. That’s why, when planning a return for staff to the office, it’s important to have individual conversations to help formulate a plan that will work for everyone.

Think about additional considerations

This is easier said than done for smaller businesses, but for larger businesses this can still be achieved through managers having these conversations with their team, or sending out internal surveys, to discover the general consensus within the workforce, and what their misgivings might be.

Each employee needs to feel the same level of appreciation and support, and this includes the additional considerations of your staff about returning to the office, such as them now having to factor in new travel times, petrol costs, additional food bills and childcare, the stress of the commute, etc. The plan needs to be adaptive and responsive and could involve staff returning in waves to ensure their needs and requirements are met in time, rather than everyone all returning at once. Although this could be a logistical nightmare, you need to find a balance between it working for everyone, otherwise it won’t work at all.

A welcome change

Just as businesses and people had to rapidly adapt to suddenly having to work from home, returning to the office is quickly becoming another culture shift which employees will have to readapt to.

People have become comfortable working from home, so the challenge now lies in making the office a more attractive place to work, to encourage staff through the doors. This goes beyond providing quiet areas or ensuring each team member has their own desk, rather than having to desk share (no one wants the annoyance of having to adjust their chair and setup each time they come into work).

Providing incentives might be the key. People like to feel rewarded, and depending on the size and scope and budget of your business. This could range from providing small treats such as supplying free tea and coffee, to offering free daily breakfasts, or hosting fun events like team lunches every Friday. You could even partner with local businesses to provide something new for your staff. This could include such things as having stands occasionally set up selling sweets, perfume, makeup, gifts (such as is seasonal) etc, or offering manicures and pedicures during the lunch hour.

Don’t miss out

This can give employees a sense of something they won’t want to miss, as well as re-building a sense of workplace community that is lost when solely working from home. The more positive things you do to make the office seem an attractive place to be, the more your staff will sell the benefits to other team members and encourage others in.

The saying goes ‘if you build it, they will come’. So, if you provide the best possible space for your employees to enjoy, and not just work, this will go a long way towards building enthusiasm and making a return to the office a welcome decision.

Making the right decisions

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As an HR professional, choosing an Outplacement company to work with can be a difficult decision. It’s very dependent on what your company is like and in which areas it needs guidance. As the commissioning client, you should be given the opportunity to get to know your chosen outplacement Consultant. In turn, they should take the time to ask you about the issues and individuals involved, as well as giving a full explanation of the process and how they treat people. Knowledge and experience are crucial, and a good consultancy will have accrued a great deal of both over the years. Selecting the outplacement company that is suited to your needs is one of the biggest challenges facing HR professionals. You don’t want to find yourself wasting time and money, so choosing one that is a good match is paramount.

Mapping the road ahead

A good approach to outplacement is to allow a Consultant to initially spend some time with the company or individual, so they can get to know each other and discuss how to work together. We offer outplacement recipients an introductory session, lasting up to a hour, to explain what we do and importantly talk through their career to date. The process is two-way, so it’s worth communicating from the outset, openly and honestly. Once you’ve found an approach that will work, outplacement programmes have a variety of collateral benefits that are part of the discussion and coaching process.

To give just one example, if an individual is assessing where they currently are with their career and where they would like to be, it’s a good idea to build and strengthen their CV and LinkedIn profiles. These are useful tools in making someone more attractive for employers and allows the showcasing of strengths and knowledge in a positive way. It’s also worth taking time to map out some other areas that will be looked at, such as opportunities to practice interview skills. It might be that the Consultant also explores further avenues, including self-employment, contracting, interim and perhaps Non-Executive Directorships. Strategy and review are vital ongoing components to ensure an individual keeps on the right track and feels supported while they are doing it.

Getting along together

One of the most gratifying aspects of being a Consultant is when clients realise how much they are getting out the process and relationship. The ideal scenario will result in the candidates getting on well with their Consultant on a personal level as well as a professional level, thereby building a rapport. At Career Evolution, we have always worked on a holistic basis, to help support our clients and ensure that our outplacement candidates not only get the right job, but also one that will suit their preferred lifestyle.

This is where getting to know your clients will really pay dividends. As times and work patterns have changed, we have all realised that the daily commute and  9-to-5 work patterns needn’t be the norm. Many factors have changed people’s expectations of work-life balance and what they hope to achieve to fulfil their career. A good relationship between Consultant and client will enhance this – so it’s all about making the right choice in the first instance. That initial decision can make all the difference in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about outplacement and how it can help your business, then contact one of our outplacement Consultants today. [link]

 

Can you read your CV?

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Our CVs are one of those aspects of our personal profile that are often the last to be amended. This is perhaps because these days we are more likely to update our status on social media, or our job status on LinkedIn instead. As a result, we are more up-to-date in our profiles in some ways, but less so in others. We have different priorities and often something like a CV is only refreshed when we need it, to send out to prospective employers.

The story so far

If you are working with an outplacement Consultant, they will help you get your CV in shape. It’s worth remembering that a Consultant will not write your CV for you. They will help you to look at career/role/sector options through discussion and then point you towards how your CV can best display you and your skills. In this way your CV will speak to your selected readership or audience. This guidance is a reliable way of honing your CV towards sectors you would like to work in. It also helps you identify where your strengths and weaknesses lie, in relation to where and how you see yourself. All you really want from a CV is a true reflection of you, your career and experience thus far, and your ambitions and career goals – your story so far.

Cut the jargon, having read your CV

Your Consultant will be well versed in working with people at all levels, in multitudinous roles and sectors. They won’t understand the jargon necessarily, but they can challenge what you have put down, ask what it means and help you construct and articulate your skills and achievements. If you cannot explain what the jargon means, it’s probably best to take it out, as if you’re pressed on it in an interview, you’ll be caught out. At a push, if you think the jargon is justified for the sector – some digital abbreviations if the role is in IT for example, a sector littered with technical words and acronyms – then by all means leave them in. But in the main, aim for a general readership and an accessible tone.

The silence of print

My ‘go to’ when working with clients, usually after quite an amount of work, is to ask them to read their CV aloud to themselves. Speaking out loud changes the tone of the words dramatically from the silence of print. A good sign is if you simply write the way you speak. For someone who does this instinctively, there will be little  discrepancy between the written word and the spoken one. We all have different styles of writing and language that we use. If it sounds stilted, then it isn’t you and you should correct it. Always aim for plain English when you’re assembling a CV – the more straightforward the better. Again, your Consultant will help you recraft until you’re happy that the tone and content reflects the true you.

Catching Zs with Gen Z – why a multigenerational team is the dream workforce

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As more of Generation Z (Gen Z) moves into the workplace, there has started to become apparent a discrepancy between such a diverse range in ages all working together. With up to five generations all in the same work space, each with very different life experiences, especially regarding technology, the challenge now is how to make such multigenerational diversity work for you and your business.

Mind the (age) gap

Generation Z refers to anyone born between 1997 and 2012. Very much born into the ‘digital age’, Gen Z’s will soon represent nearly 30% of the workforce by 2025. Rather than seeing the differences between Gen Z and the rest of the more established workforce, businesses should see this as a new opportunity to pass on key knowledge and best practices, especially as older team members retire. This is particularly true in skilled trade workforces, such as construction, which is struggling to address the ever-growing skills gap.

Thinking outside the box

This issue just highlights how we shouldn’t put people into boxes. The type of employee is largely defined by their personality – you don’t have to be in a certain age bracket to have a certain type of personality. Especially in the job market, success largely comes down to personality, resourcefulness and risk taking, and these three elements don’t have anything to do with age.

A risk taker could be someone in their 50’s who wants to set up their own business, despite having a mortgage, three children and no back up finance to support them, and still be ready and eager to do it. Conversely, a 22-year-old ‘Gen Z’ living at home could be very fearful of setting something up on their own, even with financial support from their parents, and be terrified of failure.

A balancing act for a multigenerational workforce

Each generation will have different aims for themselves and their careers, and that’s true at any life stage. We are all influenced by the changing marketplace, together with our own needs and personalities.

I found that world events, such as the financial crisis of 2008, helped a lot of very senior clients in their 40s and 50s to take a good long look at their career and made decisions around what they enjoyed doing, rather than worrying about status, and the same was true following the Covid epidemic, with many of my clients looking for a change to reflect our new ways of working.

When the shared aim is to help a business succeed and do well, then the drive of the individual working with the team should be the emphasis, not the age.

I sometimes think older generations are fearful of Gen Z – they are hungry to do well, achieve and progress, but still want a good work/life balance, meaning a healthier and happier workforce, something we can all learn from!

It’s also not just about comparing Gen Z to the rest of the workforce, each generation has more in common than we may first realise. The lines are blurring as everyone tries to keep up to date with the latest changes in technology and ways of working.

Employers should therefore not limit their workforce by age, for fear of losing out on this growing and talented pool. They are the future of your business after all. So, beware of comments of ‘the youth of today’, an age-old phrase that we’ve all been subjected to ourselves by our previous generation. Time will pass and before you know it, people who never knew a world without AI will be the topic of Gen Z recruiters, telling them what the world was like when they were young!