Laugh out loud – the importance of fun in the office

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Everyone knows the importance of enjoying your job. As the saying goes ‘Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ For many, the social aspect – and ‘having a laugh’ – that can be had in the office is a big part of their working day. It can even have an impact on how long someone stays in their role.

Not all work and no play

Having fun in the office boosts team morale and wellbeing for the individual. Laughing releases positive endorphins. It can relieve stress, reduce blood pressure and heart rates. From harmless practical jokes, silly one-liners (My password has been hacked again. That’s the third time I’ve had to rename the cat!), to general giggles with your colleagues, sharing jokes and fun stories helps to deepen working relationships and build trust, honesty and valuable friendships.

Laughter is the best medicine

Laughing also boosts productivity. A study found that a group of workers who watched a comedy clip were 10% more productive than their co-workers who missed out on the joke. Sharing a joke can even make you seem more competent.

A good laugh

Office fun can also benefit good causes. This can include staff undertaking charitable endeavours like wearing red noses to raise money for Comic Relief. This form of fun should be actively encouraged by businesses. It gives the clear message that, as well as being philanthropic, the company supports its employees having fun. It pays not to take yourself too seriously.

It’s not funny

However, there is a fine line between banter and bullying. While to some it might be all fun and games, to the recipient, it might just all be a bit too much. No one wants to be laughed at, at their expense. This can lead to increased stress and time off for the individual. Or even in some cases, result in them quitting their job. This can be no laughing matter, and can cost the company its staff, reputation, and even financially if the person who feels aggrieved pursues a case against the person or business, and takes it to an employment tribunal.

So, while it’s important to have fun and laugh in the office. It’s critical to remember that no one should be made to feel demeaned or the butt of all jokes, and that HR is always there to keep a lid on things.

Get in touch to see how we can assist with coaching or team development to ensure that your workplace stays a happy one.

Resilience in the face of rejection

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Looking for your next career move when facing redundancy can be hard. Regardless of your level of experience, industry knowledge or even your latest job role, there is a high probability that you will receive at least one rejection letter when you are looking for your new position.

Sadly, given the volume some companies receive, you may not even receive an acknowledgement of your application, let alone obtain a notice of rejection, which can be even more difficult when you have spent time and energy on applying for the role.

This isn’t an indication of anything that you have done wrong, or even that you weren’t suitable for the role you were applying for. With many other people also looking for their dream job, it is a statistical probability that you won’t always be successful, and a large proportion of people’s applications can leave them being made to feel ‘ghosted’.

However, in the face of rejection, it is important that you are resilient. The right job is just a successful application and interview away, but maintaining a sense of self and your self-confidence is imperative to enable you to perform well when the opportunity comes along.

Resilience is how well you can deal with – and bounce back from – challenges. Resilient people tend to maintain a more positive outlook and cope with stress more effectively. It can mean the difference between accepting rejection and being overwhelmed by it.

Although some people are naturally resilient, resilience can be learnt, and you can build resilience in a number of ways.

Set your goals – what are you looking for in your next role?

The threat of redundancy can be extremely daunting. However, setting yourself some reasonable goals can be the first step towards bouncing back. Those goals might be to revisit your CV, update your LinkedIn profile or reach out to a former boss, colleague or business partner for a coffee and a catch up. Whatever it is, setting and then achieving simple goals will help you start to work out – and work towards – what you want in the future.

Once you have set your goals, working towards them will also help you feel more in control of your situation. Finding a new job won’t happen without effort on your part, but breaking down the work that needs to be done and tackling it in a manageable way is important.

A sense of purpose

Redundancy is hard, but it can also be seen as an amazing opportunity to find an exciting new role or even change direction completely.  With a defined purpose, you’ll be more motivated to learn from your past experiences and keep going.

Outplacement is also a highly effective tool which your employer can provide to help you in finding your next career move following redundancy. Our team offers tailored outplacement to assist with this process, to help identify your options and transferable skills which could open new doors to your next role.

Believe in yourself

During a redundancy process it is important to retain confidence in your own abilities. It would be easy to start doubting yourself, but self-confidence is an important element of resilience. Listen out  for negative comments in your head. When you hear them, practice immediately replacing them with positive ones. Research has demonstrated that your self-esteem plays an important role in coping with stress and recovering from difficult events. Remind yourself of your strengths and accomplishments – and if you identify areas for improvement, take time to develop them too.

Develop your network

Your business network can play an important role in helping you find your next role. Reaching out to former colleagues, bosses, suppliers and other industry contacts can yield impressive results. It can also help your resilience, as having a network of supportive individuals is so important. Your personal network is important too, as we all need our champions and supporters cheering us on.

Embrace change

Flexibility and optimism are essential parts of resilience. By learning how to be more adaptable, you’ll be better equipped to respond when faced with a difficult life experience like redundancy. Change is difficult, but with a resilient mindset, you can come out of it stronger and happier, and with a new career.

 

Contact us today and see how our Consultants can help with Outplacement support and our Career Coaches can help your team build resilience.

 

‘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.

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!

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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 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.

Leaving a positive impression

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When an employee leaves a role, it’s a big change for everyone – both for the employee themselves and their employer. For the employee, if it is something they haven’t planned, then it will be outplacement that will help to ease the process. For the employer, it might be that the change has been forced upon them and they want to handle the situation as sympathetically and smoothly as possible. Although the change might not be something either party wants, it needs to be a favourable outcome for both of them.

Positive steps

Outplacement plays in important part in supporting people leaving a role, providing them with a positive experience of something that can feel quite negative. In this way, even someone leaving a role that they didn’t necessarily want to can still feel positive about the company. They will be able to provide positive references about the business in the future. If the decision has not been the individual’s personal choice, it can take some reconciling in their own mind. If you leave with unresolved differences and issues, then it’s very difficult to view a former employer in a positive light. However, outplacement and talking to professionals who can offer tangible solutions, is a way of taking positive steps in the right direction.

 Impacts of change

I’ve talked a lot in the past about the emotional impacts of change and how these can affect our personal and working lives. A change in one part of our lives often has a knock-on effect elsewhere. A major change at home can disrupt working lives, and equally a change at work can disrupt all aspects of our personal lives. This can be especially true if your job and working arrangements are finely balanced around wider commitments, for example caring for young children or elderly parents. It’s important not to allow your sense of direction during such transitionary periods to veer off track.

Building resilience

At Career Evolution, we can help employees move to a more positive place mentally and our key objective is to get them back in control of their own situation and future. We also encourage building resilience in such times and talking to someone familiar with the impacts of change can help with that. Preparedness too, of such things as CVs and interview techniques, can help going forward. When someone looks back at their transition between jobs, it’s important not to dwell on the negative aspects, but look forward at the positive ways that change has impacted them.

If you would like to talk to someone about providing outplacement support, then please get in touch with us today.

The role of positive workplace culture

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There is a lot in the news at the moment concerning workplace culture and negative trends like ‘silent quitting’. Workplace culture is the essence and definition of any business. It’s what unifies the employees and management. It decides how your company will be perceived from the outside world – from clients to competitors. On a fundamental level, it’s the company’s shared values and beliefs, its attitudes and the ethics that people in a workplace share. A positive culture is essential for any successful business. But in these uncertain times, how do you make sure that you introduce a positive culture into the workplace?

A positive atmosphere

Many companies have directly addressed workplace culture and gone to great lengths to engender a positive workplace atmosphere. This has in some cases extended to include places where employees can socialise, but usually it is more along the lines of a friendly, sociable atmosphere. It can include a certain degree of flexibility, to better suit a work/life balance. This may also include working from home, as part of a hybrid working model, or working certain days of the week. Flexitime has been a feature of employment for many years, but many firms have embraced a wider flexibility now. This can help accommodate school runs, for instance, or the care of elderly relatives. Acknowledging employee needs and addressing them go a long way to generating a positive workplace culture.

Minimum effort

Defining shared culture and values in your business is very important. You want people working for and with you that care about their jobs and their business. The ‘silent quitting’ or ‘quiet quitting’ trend is actually nothing new, but it has become popularised via platforms such as TikTok. The idea behind it is to only do enough in your role to get your job done. You won’t run the extra mile, or exceed the parameters of your duties or your salary. In short, it’s doing the bare minimum to keep your job. It’s spurred on by disillusionment and the fact that people don’t want their jobs to be their lives. They want to work to live, rather than living for their work.

Positive attitudes

However, in any company – and especially in a small one – this attitude can be detrimental to workplace culture. There’s no room for passengers and by encouraging a positive atmosphere and a pleasant, sociable workplace, this kind of attitude may be discouraged. Larger companies have a culture and set of values – often via mission statements or other mantra – that will be obvious from your research, interview and induction process with the firm. Culture even extends to how you represent the company via your dress and attitude. These are expectations from employers that it is hoped are nurtured and will prosper in businesses that have a positive workplace culture – and hopefully rub off on everyone else.