by Nuture HR
Listening to a radio interview recently, in relation to “VR” i.e. Virtual Reality in the music industry, it had me musing on what this could mean for the not so distant future of the workplace. That is, what benefits could be had and correspondingly what concerns should we have?
Some exciting opportunities of VR in the workplace could include:
- Meetings held in a virtual workspace, where all or a number of participants could be working from different locations across the globe however each will feel as though they are working in the same space as one another,
- The ability to virtually try new roles / work activities and even occupations from anywhere at anytime,
- Training utilising a virtual scenario or virtual workplace thereby reducing costs and mistakes in reality and improving opportunities to learn from this and
- Virtual interviewing enabling applicants to be interviewed from anywhere in the same virtual workplace.
An exciting time lies ahead for workplaces embracing “VR” technology, however let’s not forget the value of real human contact in our quest for workplace excellence!
by Nuture HR
Although we are all varyingly dissimilar and similar to one another, how is it that some people are better employees than others?
Typically, a great employee is someone considered to be: • Productive • Honest • Self-motivated • Reliable • Ethical
• Communicative • Committed • Passionate • Task focused • Dedicated
Many of these predictors appear to be personality traits, interestingly research has found a correlational relationship between vocational choice and personality traits (Garcia-Sedeño, Navarro & Menacho, 2009; Nordvik, 1996). Therefore, if in the same fields we all have similar personalities, why are others ahead?
A recent analysis by Uusiautti and Maatta (2015, pp. 34-38) found the best predictive qualities of a great employee, is their appreciation for challenges, exceptional interpersonal skills, autonomous working skills, the belief that work is rewarding accompanied with a positive attitude towards work. Many people possess some of these skills individually, but when all are acting in conjunction with one another, success is apparent. These attitudes have also been linked to high productivity, long term success and a greater sense of wellbeing (Sherman, Randall & Kauanui, 2015).
Furthermore, Uusiautti and Maatta (2015, pp. 141) determined that an equally fundamental factor of great employees are positive work experiences; from the work itself and the employee’s experiences at work. Successful workers need successful work environments to flourish in conjunction with the individual personality traits. A supportive work environment is central to an employee’s ability to achieve.
For further information on this, please contact Eva and her team at Nurture HR Consulting via phone 43 125 120 or email: eva@nurturehrconsulting.com.au
by Nuture HR
The awe inspiring performances of our Australian athletes at this year’s Rio Olympics show them to be nothing less than determined, driven and focused. These Olympians faced the highs and the lows and need to be resilient and persevere to get back up when they don’t reach the success they strive for in their individual disciplines.
Cate Campbell freestyle world record holder finished 6th in her strongest event, she had been tipped as strongest to win. Translating this into our everyday organisations, how do we encourage those driven and ambitious employees in our workforce to maintain high performance and consistency in their day to day work, even in challenging times.
Organisations can encourage and support their employees in driving and continuing high performance via:
- Ensuring expectations are clear
Employees like clear direction from the organisation on what is expected so they can meet those expectations and strive for success.
- Provide employees with a vision for the organisation
Be inspirational when setting the vision for the organisation and ensuring that message is communicated effectively. Employees like to know what the organisation is doing and where it is going. A clear vision and inspirational message will provide employees with confidence that the organisation has clear goals and objectives, which will provide them with security and stability on the future of the organisation.
- Provide regular feedback and encouragement
Communicate clear strategies and goals to employees. Employees like to know what they are doing right. Are their actions making an impact in the organisation, and how can they improve? Through the setting of clear, realistic and measured goals, both the line manager and employee can discuss performance and provide feedback during performance development meetings. Employees are more motivated when they are recognised and given regular feedback, goal setting can ensure both these can be can be met.
- Negative feedback
Employees aren’t motivated by negative feedback or being dressed down in from of their colleagues and peers. Negative feedback should be delivered in a tactful, direct way behind closed doors to maintain professionalism and to avoid the matter escalating out of control.
- Recognition
Praise your employees, let them know they have done a great job. Employees are highly motivated if they feel they are being appreciated for the time and effort they put into a task or project. It doesn’t cost anything to simply say, “Thank you”.
- Development and training
Providing regular training and development to your employees, not only identifies you as an organisation that is committed to investing in their employees and developing them, it also a great way of motivating and keeping them interested in their job which will maintain their performance.
- Be interested in your employees
Showing an interest in your employees will highlight to them that you are aware of them and their individual circumstances. Employees will feel a strong sense of connection and affiliation with their workplace and a sense of pride. Happy employees are motivated employees who will strive to do the best they can!
For further information on how to motivate your employees please contact Eva and her team at Nurture HR Consulting via phone 43 125 120 or email: eva@nurturehrconsulting.com.au
by Nuture HR
What is outplacement and career transition?
Outplacement is the provision of support for employees whose roles have been declared redundant to assist them in transitioning to a new career or new role.
Support occurs through:
- Assisting an individual in better understanding what motivates or drives them and what career / role they may be better suited to or have a preference
- Understanding networking; including how to network using traditional techniques and digital mediums
- Assistance with developing and or updating resumes and application letters
- Interview techniques and
- Emotional support
Outplacement benefits both the transitioning employee and the organisation they are leaving. This is achieved via an employee receiving the practical and emotional support they require, plus the organisation being sure they have provided all that was within their realm to assist the transitioning employee in securing future work and or meeting their career aspirations.
For further information on outplacement please contact Eva and her team via
email eva@nurturehrconsulting.com.au or phone on 43 125 120.
by Nuture HR
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances. If there is any reaction, both are transformed.” – Carl Jung
The Grandfather of personality psychology, Gordon Allport, saw personality through an ideographical approach- he viewed the individual uniqueness and experience. Allport concluded, that personality traits are innate neuropsychological properties, initiating individuals to act in a meaningful consistent way across time and situation (Sollod et al., 2012 pp. 2).
Carl Jung furthered the study of personality and referred to it as the predispositions to behave in a certain manner. Consequently, personality across the board is unique to the individual.
Personality within organisations make work interesting and conversely at times, challenging. That is why within business you need to be aware of its advantages but also attentive to its impacts on individual performance and team cohesiveness and the relationships and follow through with clients.
Listed below are some advantages and disadvantages to be aware of when uniting personalities within workplaces:
Advantages:
- Some personalities mix well with others and allow for greater success.
- Great leaders are approachable, understanding and adaptable to others personalities.
- Research suggests that individual personalities within teams can influence team dynamics
- Individuals need to understand the power of the situation and its role on different personalities.
- Personalities working together can increase creative thinking
- Different personalities can motivate one another
Disadvantages:
- Often first impressions are subjective to the situation (i.e. first time meeting co-workers is nerve racking) and may force a false judgement.
Different personalities vary in productiveness, attention to detail, ability to commit to projects, motivation etc. Hence, it is worth understanding personalities to better organise teams.
For more information on personality within workplaces please contact eva@nurturehrconsulting.com.au
Reference: Sollod, R., Monte, C., & Boag,S.(2012). Beneath the mask. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
by Nuture HR
Being able to write a “Masterpiece of a Resume” can be a gruelling task, knowing what to write, how to make it stand out, let alone typing it up when computer skills may not be your specialty.
Rest assured, there are ways around making the task less of an effort and more of a challenge. Remember this could be the key to getting the perfect job! So what makes a good Resume?
The following tips and tricks are some quick wins to creating your, “Masterpiece” and catching the attention of your prospective employer.
- Your Resume should be no more than 3 pages long. Give the reader the lasting effect to pick up the telephone and discuss your Resume further.
- Capture the reader’s attention by ensuring the content is at a high level. Make it easy for them to understand, highlighting, such things as: who you are, where you have worked and a short introduction on what the company does.
- Keep the layout simple. Overcomplicating the Resume with fancy fonts and special effects can make it look busy and be the difference between a call back or not. Stick to a simple layout with fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri, with size 12 font. Bolding headings may be necessary, particularly for: company names, key dates and heading of sections throughout the Resume, for e.g., Personal Information, Education, Work Experience, etc.
- Jobs and education should be in reverse chronological order. Too much detail about earlier positions in your career are not relevant. Focus on the most recent and relevant.
- Be sure to make reference to any degrees or licences you have acquired in the education section and any advanced training that may be relevant.
- Use short, concise sentences and bullet point them to show emphasis. Longwinded sentences may stop the reader, reading on! Use verbs to highlight job responsibilities, such as; managed, developed, implemented, initiated. Impress the reader by selecting your most poignant and relevant jobs you have held.
- Any achievements or awards or personal affiliations that may be relevant should be included.
- Don’t waffle about personal interests. Keep them short and concise and only mention if relevant. If mentioning them serves no benefit, then leave it out!
- References should be listed at the bottom of the Resume as, “References available upon request”. Should the prospective employer acquire them, they will ask for them?
