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.

Conforming to gender norms

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There’s a lot of discussion around gender in general and specifically gender in the workplace, as an ongoing debate about equality and fairness. In terms of parity, it’s important that any discrepancies between pay and opportunities are addressed, and we do seem to have come a long way in terms of redressing the balance somewhat.

One example I have encountered is highly-successful female clients who fear participating in interviews, if they know there are men on the shortlist as well. They become self-effacing and self-deprecating, to the point of being too humble about their achievements and experience. In fact, they become convinced that their own skills, experience and achievements will not win over the interviewer and secure the role. This is patently not true but persuading them otherwise can be problematic.

Never knowingly undersold

It’s very important not to undersell yourself when it comes to interviews – no matter what gender you are. By feeling inferior due to gender, you are immediately setting yourself up to fail. It’s a disadvantage from the off and we all know it’s difficult enough preparing for interviews, without added pressures such as psychological impacts to factor in. It’s also important to ensure that you are well prepared for your interview, so that your CV and interview answers accurately reflect your real personality, knowledge and skills. Don’t undersell your achievements and skills, in fact highlight areas you feel that are your particular strengths. 

Mental barriers

The sense of women feeling inferior in the workplace or of being unsuitable for a role may seem archaic in 2024, but in some women’s minds these mental barriers still exist. They feel as though they are conforming to gender norms, that if they are a women they shouldn’t be putting themselves forward for certain roles in specific professions. This is at a time when women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors, such as construction or engineering for instance, are on the rise. If I am encountering this in my circle of clients, which I always deem to be a pretty representative cross-section, then it’s probably not an unusual occurrence across business and society in general.    

Engendering confidence

So much so, that it is not unusual for us to be approached by organisations to offer support to employees who are going for high level internal roles and need to perform in interview.  In my experience, even in this situation, some women immediately feel at a disadvantage.

Part of my role as a Consultant is to actively encourage positivity around identifying and finding new roles, and also to engender confidence prior to an interview situation. This can be done in a number of ways. It may sound like stating the obvious, but I find the more preparation candidates carry out, the stronger they become and the more confident they will be in their own persona and capabilities. This will come out in the interview and present them as a strong, convincing candidate. In this way, the best candidate will always secure the role they are best suited for – whatever their gender.

Head of Talent Acquisition secures exciting future with help from Career Evolution

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When Bryan’s latest assignment finished in 2022, he found himself on the job market, for the first time since he had graduated. After taking a few months off to travel and explore some personal opportunities, it was time to start looking seriously for his next role. Bryan explains: “I had been so lucky to have been ‘in work’ straight from my studies, and I had underestimated the challenges of being on the market. I was looking for my next move at a time when recruitment had been deprioritised across many sectors, infamously known as an incredibly competitive environment anyway, and it took a lot longer than I expected to get things moving. Eventually, a great friend suggested I talk to Sue Thomas from Career Evolution, and he made the introduction.”

Although Career Evolution normally works directly with businesses, providing outplacement for their teams, Sue agreed to take Bryan on as a client. “From the first meeting, I knew I had found my ‘thought partner.’ Working with Sue left me energised, inspired, and knowing what I was going to do next. I had found my Guru.” – Bryan maintains.

Reach for the sky

Bryan’s background was in the recruitment industry/people leadership within travel and entrepreneurial start-ups, who needed to scale up, exponentially and rapidly. Sue collaborated with him to identify the actions, delivery, and output that he needed to undertake to find his next role – which was essential as “you’re either ready to ramp up and raise the bar with your recruitment (and need a Head of Talent Acquisition), or you don’t…”

“Sue proved to be a consistent thread and a solid touchstone for me throughout the process of finding my next role. Your resilience is really put to the test when you are looking for your next career move, but she was there throughout my best and worst days. Celebrating my wins and reminding me I could do this, even at times where it felt like things were more out of reach, than within my grasp.”

One of the areas that Career Evolution helped Bryan with was tracking and documenting what he was doing and helping him navigate the virtual world. “LinkedIn was a very important part of the process but it’s easy to forget what you have done; by tracking my activity I was able to keep focused, do my own analytics and hold myself accountable for making things happen, day by day.”

An excellent bet

Five months into the quest, Bryan secured his next adventure and a role with DAZN Bet as its new Head of Talent Acquisition.

“The stars aligned – a world class opportunity had presented itself and I knew my new home, already felt like ‘home’.” No stranger to travel or working globally, Bryan now divides his time between sunny Manchester, very sunny Gibraltar and even sunnier, Malta!

When asked how the support from Sue Thomas and Career Evolution has helped the most, Bryan concluded: “Sue’s support gave me the reason to get up and get on it. She provided me with laser sharp focus, which was laced with humanity. One of the biggest benefits was her impeccable knowledge and expertise – and of course the fact that I had someone to walk down the road with me until I found my dream job. Sue made such an impact and a difference to me, but she also made sure that I was making a difference to myself, personally and professionally every day. Now that is what I call – a Guru!”

‘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!

 

 

 

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.

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.

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: