Mind your language

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I’m at an age where I’ve seen a lot of differences in language and word interpretation, some that are absolutely too rude or shocking to write down. I worked with an AI organisation about 20 years ago, but it didn’t have anything to do with artificial intelligence and everything to do with artificial insemination. These days, things should be simpler, as people can express themselves and be themselves much more easily – and hopefully with greater acceptance. But because of multiple meanings and interpretations, it can make it difficult for some people to communicate, for fear of getting things wrong and offending others.

I do find that it’s useful to make it clear to people that I may not know all the terms people are using or that I understand them, for example within an LGBTQ+ context. But I would like to ask questions, if they are happy with that, so I can learn. I also do always emphasise that if I do get anything wrong, it isn’t malicious or intended to offend. Many terms may be open to interpretation and it is often the case that not everyone can be familiar with every single term that is the acceptable one. The reverse is also true and many words that were perfectly acceptable for many years now have very negative connotations, for example around gender or culture. It is important to ensure that – especially in business – you create an inclusive, friendly environment.

A welcoming place

The inclusivity aspect is perhaps the most important aspect of working environment culture these days. So much has been spoken about remote working, the fear of returning to working premises again and the many barriers to getting people back into the office and collaborating in person once again. Workplace culture has to be welcoming and inclusive, and the way everyone speaks to one another is key to this – friendly language, the correct terms and amiable but professional behaviour. In this way, companies can be inclusive and tolerant, as well as efficient and productive.

The art of language can be difficult, but it should never become a barrier.  As somebody who speaks and writes to people daily, I don’t want to be stymied or constricted for fear of offence. Until you are fully aware of someone’s circumstances, particularly online, then it may be easy to cause unintentional offence – this may be most apparent with the many different terms for gender currently in use, for instance, and their preferred pronouns.

Open to interpretation

On the flipside, I find many people in Gen Z, for example, don’t know the terms that they use freely now were actually offensive back in the 1980s. It’s all about context too and tone of voice. If it’s obvious something has been said in jest, it’s often masked or excused as ‘banter’. But if someone takes offence at something that has been said entirely inadvertently, then it is hoped that a genuine error can be acknowledged. It’s important in these circumstances that the same mistake isn’t made again and that lessons are learned. Language can be a minefield and of course, in business, you’re not necessarily working with people you know well. It’s a learning curve, but one that will ensure that the true meaning of what we want to say is articulated in the way we want to say it.

Fear of rejection

Confidence isn’t something we all innately possess, but it is something we can build up over time. Our self-confidence has an enormous impact on how we go about work and how we interact with people, in life and in our workplace. It’s also an important part of our online presence. We can perhaps project a much more confident persona via an online platform such as LinkedIn. But confidence can be eroded and all kinds of impacts – job uncertainty, criticism, mental health – can easily affect levels of confidence.

Risky situations

Depending on your personal confidence, we all experience the flipside of this too – that is the fear of rejection. This can be something in all aspects of our lives that holds us back. That first step forward, reaching out to someone, is a leap of faith. You’re putting yourself into a situation you have no control over and it can go one of two ways. But the important thing to remember is, don’t worry too much about reaching out to people – either in person or through LinkedIn. People are generally flattered to be approached for advice or recommendations. If it is in person, there are many factors that can influence a person’s decision to engage – demeanour, manner, appearance, articulation and confidence.

Getting connected

Is it more difficult to reject an approach in person? Probably, as the person is present and the situation is real. There’s a certain anonymity to online interactions that you just don’t get in person. When it comes to online platforms versus in-person, it’s a slightly different situation. Allow your presence on LinkedIn be your leverage to connect to people. This can be someone you have already met in person – via a networking event, a mutual connection or social gathering. Or it could be someone who is completely new to you via an online platform. The advantage of connecting with someone online is that your professional credentials are readily apparent and visible, via your associated profile and resumé.

Reaping rewards

Sometimes we reach out to people because we think we can be of use to them, and of course, sometimes we reach out to them because they might be beneficial to us. Whatever the motive, the crucial thing is to do it with confidence and without the dread of rejection at the forefront of your mind. If you set out with negative thoughts and a fear of failure, then it is more likely that is what will happen, as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

When you are connecting with new people – either online or in person – don’t open the conversation with asking them to do things for you. Think carefully about your approach. Soft conversations are important. That way, people will understand and know what you are looking for. Then a subsequent offer of help might follow as a result. One thing it is worth remembering about the fear of rejection – which might help to boost your confidence. The rewards far outweigh the risks.

There’s no such thing as an informal chat

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In today’s working world, people seem generally to be incredibly busy – all the time. It is immaterial as to whether this is a hangover from Covid and people are still trying to catch up, or if it is due to the much-publicised skills shortage, and there is just more work to do.  Whatever the reason, be assured, that being invited in for an informal chat about a job role is probably in reality, much more serious, and you need to be as prepared as if you were being invited in for a formal interview.

Time is precious

People are generally too busy to waste time, so regardless of how informal the invitation seems to be, there is often more to it. Any conversation you have, remember, the other person might be sizing you up – whether that is on your ability, your skills and knowledge or your cultural fit. Be prepared and be able to demonstrate – and wow them – with your knowledge and experience.

Picking up the non-verbal cues

Don’t forget, people unconsciously make judgements on you, from how you dress, through to your body language, so think about how you would like to be perceived and make sure that you behave accordingly. You don’t want to turn up in your casual clothes to then meet with someone in formal business attire. It’s not so much ‘dress to impress’, more dress appropriately for the situation.

There is debate about how much communication is non-verbal, with some people suggesting it is in excess of 80%, but what is commonly agreed, is that a substantial part of your communication is shared without words. Instead, it will come from your facial expressions or how you use your hands when you talk. Hand gestures can be very useful in helping to make specific points, or it could be things like tone of voice, eye contact, posture and physical proximity.

And, if after all this, the informal chat turns out to be just that, don’t be despondent, as you don’t know who they might go on to mention you to – or when another opportunity might present itself.

LinkedIn: Not just for job hunting

There is no denying that LinkedIn is a great tool for job hunting. An online CV is available at the click of a button and connections can be made with the profiles and companies that appeal for your next job. However, LinkedIn is a useful asset for everyday life. You can use it as a personal online Filofax ensuring your day-to-day tasks are achieved. LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools for professionals looking to grow their business, advance their career or expand their networks.

Use LinkedIn regularly

LinkedIn estimates suggest a daily user base of over 100 million. With that amount of people available you need to ensure you are visible and this can be achieved by posting regularly. If you take advantage of LinkedIn algorithms by posting on a regular basis, your profile will become available to a wider audience and help with sourcing clients and new business. It’s all about engaging with others and that’s why LinkedIn was developed, by posting regularly and engaging with others, you can grow your network.

Keep profiles updated, better than a business card

A business card doesn’t really tell anybody about you, it’s usually just contact details. A LinkedIn profile not only tells someone your contact details but it’s a curriculum vitae and a life story in one. By showcasing your expertise and sharing content that resonates with your target audience you can really make an impact. Much better than handing out a business card with your name on it!

Help when applying for new job roles

LinkedIn is a fantastic resource for applying for new job roles. You can make sure your LinkedIn profile stays relevant. Posting on LinkedIn can demonstrate your accomplishments, your values and ultimately lead to new opportunities. LinkedIn is a modern way of keeping a rolodex of connections, ensuring you find the important people needed for furthering your career or business. You can research any company and find the rights contacts for you.

Keep up to date

Potential recruiters will pay attention to your skills, so you need to keep this information up to date and make sure all the relevant information is on there. If a search is done on your name on a search engine the chances are LinkedIn will come up first. Make sure any posts you have on there are relevant and share your capabilities and ideas.

Sue Thomas, Director at Career Evolution says, “I always take the time to remind my clients that they need to update their profile as soon as they start their new job. A new employer won’t be impressed to look at a new recruit’s profile and not see it updated.”

 

Getting on with it

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Meeting etiquette can always be difficult to get right.  And since the pandemic, it’s one that is beginning to become much more normal again. In person meetings in particular are making a comeback, but many people have embraced remote meetings as the way forward. However, wherever the meeting takes place, we are converging to discuss business matters, there are a few things we should all bear in mind.

Better late than never?

People turning up late – is it acceptable or not?  I worked in an organisation where all the really interesting discussion points were held at the beginning of a meeting, so that you missed out if you arrived late.  It’s important to have a roughed-out agenda, so any late attendees can see what was discussed, but unless you have a valid excuse, lateness for meetings is usually seen as being rude.  Interestingly, people are less tolerant of people being late on virtual meetings – why would you be five minutes late, when you only have to connect through your computer? That said, virtual or in person, we’ve all run into traffic – vehicular or internet – and sometimes internet speeds can cause havoc at the very moment you want them to deliver the broadband performance you’re paying for.

Constantly on-call

Phones and things – is it acceptable to leave your phone on during a meeting? Some people do and we’ve all had attendees answering the phone with that poor excuse: “I’m in a meeting”. Just mute the ringtone and allow them to leave a message. However, if the people in the meeting are aware you may need to take a call, it won’t come across as rude. Tip them off beforehand and this should work. It’s actually worse in an online meeting if this happens. Just ignore it and ring them back after the meeting has finished. Meetings have their own ebb and flow, and any interruptions can disrupt this. It can also disrupt trains of thought and natural development of discussions, and a phone ringing can bring this to a halt, and it’s difficult to pick up where you left off afterwards

Focus on the matter

As a rule of thumb, I always put my phone on silent and upside down so it doesn’t distract me at all.  I’m not able to see any incoming emails from my one screen, so I’m not tempted to look at something else. This allows me to concentrate and focus on the meeting and its attendees. If a meeting has a reason, there shouldn’t be any circumstances to become distracted from it, unless it’s highlighted and acknowledged by the rest of the participants. You can take part in meetings from any location these days, which can be hugely beneficial – especially over the summer months. But remember, if you are on holiday when you are taking part in the meeting, move any cocktails out of camera shot.

 

 

No back-to-school blues as Career Evolution becomes a teenager

The summer holidays may be over, but with the sun out and a mini heatwave in progress, what better way is there to mark the return to school and Career Evolution’s 13th birthday, than with new stationery, like a brand-new notepad?

Make a note

It can be easy to forget just how much you have achieved in your working life. Things that to you might just seem like ‘business as usual’, might in fact be considered a huge achievement by others. By keeping a note of what you have done, as you go along, will mean that when you are called upon to list out your achievements – whether its for your CV or in an interview – you will have all the key points identified, and with dates too.

Sue Thomas, director at Career Evolution explains: “I find that by keeping a notepad where I track all my achievements – big and small – means that I have one place to look when I am trying to remember what I achieved and when. This can be particularly helpful if you have to demonstrate continuous professional development (CPD) activity each year. Marking down dates and titles of training courses, webinars, conferences and seminars that you have attended, will go a long way towards the hours of training and development that you need to track annually. It can also be used to record achievements, changes in responsibilities and promotions. It is also a good place to save the outcomes of appraisals and review meetings too.

Time to celebrate

“I have done this for a long time, and as the business celebrates its 13th year, it is fascinating to look back at some of the achievements that I have recorded over the years. From my first client success to bringing on board the first of my career Coaches and Consultants. They are all important and a good demonstration of how far I have come.”

To find out more about Career Evolution, visit www.career-evolution.org

 

Why use outplacement when there is a skills gap?

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There is a lot of conversation about a skills shortage across many sectors and job roles at the moment, which surely means that the power is currently in the hands of the job seeker rather than the recruiter. However, despite this, some employers are still sourcing out placement for individuals, even when the skills the individual has are very marketable, and there should be no issue in them securing a new role. This raises the question of why invest in outplacement services in the existing employment landscape?

Not ‘one size fits all’

Outplacement is not a linear process. There are many stages of outplacement, which will come in a different order for each individual depending on their personal circumstances. The main areas include identifying the options, preparing a CV, updating LinkedIn and putting a strategy in place, followed by interview training and check-ins. Outplacement can help an individual make sense of what needs doing, in what order, without it becoming overwhelming.

Turning the process upside down

Ensuring that a client is ready to get the next right job, can turn the linear process upside down. Some individuals will need to start with interview training rather than preparing a CV, if they end up with job interviews lined up, potentially even before their official leaving date. This can happen through word of mouth or if they have utilised their network effectively.

Making good decisions

Regardless of the order they approach their search for a new role, it can be a stressful time, and an outplacement Consultant can help make sure that the individual makes good decisions.  Whatever the outcome – and it’s great when a client gets the right job quickly – the individual still needs to take the time to record their achievements and substantiate them. In other words, make sure that their CV and LinkedIn profile is up to date.

Time to check-in

Securing a new role quickly has lots of benefits for the individual. Not only does it give them peace of mind and a clear direction, but it also provides the outplacement Consultant with the opportunity to check in with them during the first few months, to ensure that they are happy with their decision and help them assess if they need to try and change anything about their new role.  Outplacement is rarely wasted as a resource and continues to give good internal and external PR to the companies who commission it.

For further information, visit Career Evolution.

The problem with too much choice

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Believe it or not, having more than one job offer on the table can be a very real cause of stress and anxiety. The pressure of having to choose and not knowing if you have made the best decision for your future career and happiness can be a little overwhelming. Obviously, I hesitate to say this to new outplacement clients, as at the time of redundancy, having choice about your next career move sounds like utopia.

Make a list

One of the things I do with new outplacement clients quite early on, is work with them to identify what is important to them in their next role.  The checklist covers all sorts of things, from type of role, sector, company size, possibility of progression, culture, working away from home, international travel and hybrid working. That’s before we have even started to consider salary and benefits. I also get them to think about their answers, and which of these are non-negotiable, and which are really only ‘nice to haves’.  This checklist is important initially to help them work out what they want to apply for, but actually, at the point of receiving a job offer – or even multiple job offers – this list really comes into its own.

Jobs are like buses?

Just like the saying about waiting for a bus, and two come at once, it is very likely the same thing could be said for job offers. It isn’t that surprising, as a client will have been following up on more than one opportunity at a time, so there is a fairly good chance that more than one offer will come through. What is difficult, is then balancing a definite offer, but maybe one that has some downsides, with one that is yet to be made. This is where the benefits of the checklist become apparent.

By revisiting and working through the checklist, my clients can then work out if the opportunity that is on the table meets all the non-negotiables on their list. If it doesn’t, they might decide to hold their nerve and see if something better comes along.

Seek advice

The benefit of working with an outplacement Consultant, is that you have someone experienced to talk it through with. The decision is ultimately yours, but your outplacement Consultant will  help you structure your thoughts and identify the pros and cons of each role. They can also advise you on how to speak to recruiters or the companies themselves, to ensure you keep your integrity and professional brand.

For further information, visit Career Evolution

Welcome to our new vlog!

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Welcome to the latest vlog from Career Evolution!

We are continuing to share weekly advice and updates from the industry on outplacement, career management, and coaching.

In our latest vlog, our director, Sue Thomas, talks about her hybrid holiday and how she makes it work for her and her clients.

Watch the video below:

 

The importance of employee engagement

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According to Gallup’s recent annual report, State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report, there is a ‘global rise in employees who are thriving at work, even as worker stress remains at a record high’. However, it also reports that, although employee engagement is rising, the majority of the world’s workers are still quiet quitting. There is an estimated 59% of employees falling into this category. Something needs to be done to address this, as in today’s environment of skills shortages, retention is generally better than recruitment.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitters are your employees that are showing up for work physically but are not actually engaged with their role or the company that they are working for. Their feelings of disconnection with the business are more likely to lead to burn out and stress than more engaged employees, despite their productivity being much lower.

How do you reengage the quiet quitters?

As you well know, your investment into retaining your existing staff is money much better spent than in recruiting new team members. But do you know what things are most important to your team?   One area which needs to be considered is how your team is managed. This is particularly important if some, or all, of your team are working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement. Each member of your team needs the same level of appreciation, collaboration and support.

Culture, pay and wellbeing

Within the report, the three areas that employees are keen to see addressed are those of culture (or engagement), pay and wellbeing. While pay may be harder to address in the current climate, it is vital that you get the other two areas right. These can be as easy as ensuring that simple measures, such as regular meetings and encouraging people to move around more during the working day are in place, through to more structured culture and wellbeing programmes.  Key members of your team might also benefit from the introduction of coaching or other training programmes.

If you would like to discuss these opportunities, contact Career Evolution or visit the website today to find out how this could make a difference within your workplace.