Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Why Job Seekers Fail to Commit

Why Job Seekers Fail to CommitWhy Job Seekers Fail to CommitWHY JOB SEEKERS FAIL TO COMMITHave you ever backed out of a job after accepting an offer?28% Yes72% NoIf yes, why did you back out? Received a better offer from another company 44%Received a convincing counteroffer from current employer 27%Heard bad things about the company after accepting 19%Other 10%Cities where job seekers most commonly back out1 San Diego2 San Francisco3 Chicago and Houston (tied)4 Austin5 Miami

Thursday, December 26, 2019

4 Secrets To Turn Interview Rejection Into An Offer

4 Secrets To Turn Interview Rejection Into An Offer4 Secrets To Turn Interview Rejection Into An OfferIve had 37 interviews in 5 months. That sounds like it would be good, except that Im still interviewing. Time and again what Im hearing if I hear anything at all is either, we went with an internal candidate, or weve decided to go in aleidher direction.When you fire up your email 1st thing in the morning, youre looking for something good. That good news can come in the form of an interview request from that company you had your eye on. Of course youre likely to have multiple interviews with multiple organizations before you land your ideal role.Right along with those highs of getting called in the 1st place, come the lows of the other (automated robot) emails that say, weve decided to go in another direction. But its not the end of the road if the hiring manager says, thanks, but no thanks. Heres what to doUse Courtesy As Your CurrencyThere is power in a handwritten thank you note. Everyone likes to receive them in all scenarios. There is just no down side here. So, if you really liked the organization, step up, differentiate yourself, and write one. I promise you that virtually no one else will do this.Why bother with a thank you note after they turned you down? First and foremost, to show yourself as gracious. You know you get more bees with honey than with vinegar.Graciously thank the relevant people (write to them all separately) for their time, say you enjoyed the conversation and learning some specific thing about the organization, and if they feel your expertise in areas X, Y, and Z may be a better fit for another role in their company, you would appreciate it if they would let you know.And you know what else?Gasp Hiring Managers Actually Talk To Each OtherYOU know other people in your industry, dont you? Perhaps they do the same thing you do. Perhaps they do something related. If you have those types of connections in your sphere, then it stands to re ason that other people do as well.Just think you interviewed, they probably liked you, but went in a different direction for whatever reason. But you were courteous, gracious, and followed up with a hand-written thank you note. Those moves make you the candidate who still stays top of mind when that particular interview process comes to an end. You could be the part the hiring manager recommends to someone else hiring in a different department or division.Let Your Fingers Do The FollowingI know emotionally its hard to hear a, no. But its not personal. So, feel your emotions for a defined period of time youre allowed to be a human being then snap out of the bad feeling and step into specific action.Use LinkedIn to follow the relevant people you spoke to. You dont have to be connected in order to do this. Following is 98% as good as connecting. When you follow people, they appear in your LinkedIn news feed. Especially if the relevant people include HR or recruiters, those folks post job ads in their news feeds. By following, youll automatically see new positions at the organizations you like.Reach Back Out (The 60-Day Rule)This is about treating a, no, as just a, not yet. YOUve done it youve walked into a store, looked around, and left especially if it was a major purchase. But ultimately, hours, days, weeks, or months later you circle back and buy the item you looked at before. There are any number of reasons why, but they dont necessarily matter. The point is that you came back.So, boomerang yourself right back into the hiring managers sphere. These are warm leads, so re-heat them Do it 60 days later. Who knows whats going on in the organization at that moment? Perhaps the person they hired didnt work out. That happens more often than you would think. Perhaps the organization has a different need now that youd be perfect for.If you feel like ageism is holding you back because youre interviewing over and over, but not hitting that home run, let me show you h ow candidates ages 54, 56, and 57 got found, got interviewed, and got placed in the jobs they wanted in a reasonable time frame. Thats in 5 Secret Job Search Hacks For The Age 50+ Job-Hunter You can see the screenshots of what people are doing to move through the job search the way you need to. Register for the free online presentation today.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

How Retirement Systems Work

How Retirement Systems WorkHow Retirement Systems WorkA retirement ordnungsprinzip is an organization that facilitates retirement savings and benefits distribution for government workers. While these systems vary greatly, many of them have defined benefit and defined contribution retirement savings plans and health insurance components. In defined benefit plans, current employees and their employing agencies contribute money to the retirement system. The system uses that money to pay annuities and health insurance costs for current retirees. The system assumes the risk for investment performance. Defined benefit plans are the backbone of many long-standing retirement systems. As time has gone on, retirement systems have added defined contribution options for employees to save additional money for retirement. In many systems, defined contribution options started out as just that options. But they are slowly changing system by system. Diminishing Attractiveness of Government Retire ment Under public pressure, lawmakers have diminished the overall attractiveness of retirement systems in several ways. First, they have forced employees to contribute mora money while holding benefits the same. Much like the concept of governments doing more with less, employees contribute more money for the same retirement payout. Second, lawmakers have shifted risk from employers to employees by making defined contribution plans a greater part of the system while chipping away at defined contribution plans. This gives employees more uncertainty about their standard of living in retirement. Employees can work toward a target annuity in a defined benefit plan, but they cannot do so with certainty in a defined contribution plan. Third, lawmakers have added rules affecting how early a person may retire and how much of retirees health insurance costs are paid by the system. Health insurance is a major cost for retirement systems, so shedding part of that cost is a big benefit to reti rement system administrators but not to the people they serve. Fourth, lawmakers have limited the practice of ersatzdarsteller dipping where retirees work at an organization within the retirement system thus withdrawing from the retirement system and a member employer. Depending on a retirement systems rules, this practice can have dire consequences for the systems sustainability. When Retirement Rules Change Government workers tend to vote in higher proportion than the overall population, so it stands to reason that lawmakers try to appease government workers by grandfathering current employees under old rules. New workers are placed under the less advantageous rules. They dont know they are getting a worse deal than their co-workers until they are already on the job. Some retirement systems make employees contribute to Social Security. Others do not. In order to receive retirement benefits from Social Security, individuals must contribute to it during their working lives. When lawmakers and their staffs write enabling statutes for retirement systems, they take into consideration whether or not retirees will have access to Social Security. Examples of Retirement Systems Here are a few examples of retirement systems Most federal government workers participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This system began in 1987 to phase out the Civil Service Retirement System. FERS has three components Social Security, Basic Benefit Plan, and Thrift Savings Plan. This plan combines both defined benefit and defined contribution elements. CSRS is a defined benefit plan. When FERS was created, employees could choose to stay with CSRS or go to FERS.States have several retirement systems working for various collections of governmental entities and their employees. Some states have retirement systems specifically for state agencies, public education, city governments, and county governments. For example, Texas has the Employees Retirement System for state em ployees, Teacher Retirement System for university and school district employees, Texas Municipal Retirement System for city employees and Texas County District Retirement System for employees in county governments and special districts. Some large cities and counties opt not to participate in state-run retirement systems and set up their own self-funded retirement plans.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Coworker I Trusted Telling Lies To Boss Behind My Back

Coworker I Trusted Telling Lies To Boss Behind My BackCoworker I Trusted Telling Lies To Boss Behind My BackIts important to be able to trust the people you work with. But if a coworker is telling lies to your boss or ratting you out for even the smallest mistakes it can make your work-life miserable. It can also keep you from getting ahead or anywhere at all in your job.I normally use this blog to offer advice. And I will add a few of my thoughts at the end. But Im mostly sharing these stories to help you know youre not alone. Feel free to add your own experiences.KBs coworker friend story One of my readers recently told us this in a comment. In this case, it welchesnt a lie being shared, but a truth that she thought welches secretJust wanted to share something that happened to me from my previous job. Never trust someone completelyI thought that I had a friend at my previous place of work that I could trust and talk to. I was wrong. Whenever I told this person how I felt about t he job and that I probably wont belastung long, the information (in detail) was passed onto management for personal gain.Some food for thought. Why would management trust someone that betrays a friend for personal gain? Wouldnt that same person do the same with sensitive information from the current job when seeking a new job elsewhere, probably with a competitor?I hope this experience is of some help. KBMy own sneaky co-worker story A similar thing happened to me many years ago. I was brought in to work side-by-side with another manager who welcomed me. He was always helpful and ready to lend an ear and provide support, or so it at first appeared.Well, it seems the friendly ear had a phone line direct to our boss, and was always transmitting bad things about me things that werent true or were conveyed out of context. Turns out, some of the duties I took on had once been his, and he wanted them backHis plan worked. I eventually left the job. But I never knew his weasily role in a ll this until after I finally had enough of my bosss constant criticism and transferred to another department. Gotta say this doesnt say much for my former boss either. Luckily my next boss was much better.Beware of workplace secrets A career coaching client Ill call her Sara told me about something that really unnerved her. The boss who had always thought of Sara as her best ally in the workplace, suddenly turned on her. No longer was she included in the daily meetings. No longer was she welcome to just drop by for a friendly chat.What happened? A man Sara trusted, someone who was also close to their boss, tricked her into sharing a secret her boss did not want shared. She knows now she was wrong, but he told her that he already knew and wanted to talk about it for their bosss protection. She fell for it.Once again, turns out jealousy was involved. He resented how close she was to their boss. So he told the boss that Sara spilled the beans. And the boss felt so betrayed by someon e she trusted (Sara), she didnt give Sara a chance to explain. It wasnt until after Sara left that she realized shed been set up.What does all this tell us? Does this mean we can never trust a co-worker? Are all bosses gullible and easily sold a bunch of lies or doctored truths? And, as KB asks, why would a boss trust someone who in effect is going behind the back of an office friend to make them look bad?I think the answer is not to close up and trust no one. That would be a miserable way to spend so many work hours. We cant live every moment on guard for the maybe. But we do need to be aware that people, even people who seem nice on the surface, may have their own agendas.So the best defense may be to stay friendly, but also stay aware. Be your own PR werber (without bragging) by letting your boss and others know about things youre accomplishing. And be very wary of office gossip and secrets even if its fun to feel part of the inner circle. You could be the next secret.Comments ( below) are very welcome. Id love to hear your own experiences and workplace storiesMore career articles you may enjoy? Assessing Your Own Strengths, Weaknesses and Interests? 10 Signs To Help You Decide When Youre Ready for a New Career? What Is Career Change and How Does It Feel?? Career Change How Long Does Career Transition Take? ? Help My Boss Doesnt Value My Opinion? Are You Stuck In a Job You Hate, Want to Quit, But See No Way Out?? Are You Feeling Overwhelmed and Incompetent In Your New Job?

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Why your 2018 taxes are different if you work from home

Why your 2018 taxes are different if you work from homeWhy your 2018 taxes are different if you work from homeDeciding to work from home is a significant financial decision. Those who work from home cut back on commuter costs, but building a home office comes with a solid price tag. When tax season rolls around, theres a whole other list of considerations, and the 2018 tax season hit some people with a major adjustment.The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 changed how some employees who work from home file taxes for tax years 2018 through 2025.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe Home office deductionWhile salaried employees were once able to file unreimbursed employee expenses as a deductible, that perk only existed for tax years prior to 2018, according to Brian Ashcraft, the director of customer experience at Liberty Tax.Telecommuters that dedicated an area of space in their homes exclusively for work purposes, and worked from home for the convenience of their employer, were previously able to deduct a portion of home-related expenses. Some of these expenses included mortgage interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and utilities. Employees could also claim work-related trips, professional dues, and equipment used for work.Tax reforms eliminated the ability to claim miscellaneous itemized deductions, which took away any area for employees to claim home office expenses. Now those expenses fall completely on the employee unless the employer agrees to fund them.What this means for the 2018 tax year if you work from homeThe inability to claim these expenses means that refunds for the 2018 tax year could be smaller, or could even become balances due for employees with unreimbursed geschftlicher umgang expenses,according to Nathan Rigney, the Lead Tax Research Analyst at the Tax Institute atHR Block.In addition, those who deducted unreimbursed business expe nses for 2017 are actually at risk of owing this tax season. Theseunreimbursed business expensescan be especially considered for certain workers, such as truckers or those who travel for work.Employees who are no longer able to take the home office deduction, and didnt like what happened with their refund this year, can make sure it doesnt happen again next year by updating withholding with their employer, Rigney said.Who can still claim unreimbursed employee expenses?The good news is that those self-employed workers, freelancers, and independent contractors can still claim these deductions. In addition, Form 2106 is available to be filed by any person who falls into one of these categoriesArmed Forces reservists, qualified performing artists, fee-basis state or local government officials, and employees with impairment-related work expenses.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say , study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Saturday, December 7, 2019

What You Have to Know About Resume Builder.com

What You Have to Know About Resume Builder.com The Lost Secret of Resume Builder.com A fitness coachs job isnt only to reveal to you the correct way to execute certain exercises or to design a program for your requirements, yet to keep you on track mentally to accomplish your physical fitness objectives. If youve got such abilities, make sure to list them in the resume and youll definitely stick out from the competition. Having coaching skills helps and any former experience for a trainer needs to be noted. Skills and accomplishments should be broken into specific orts of expertise. Resume writing isnt simple, and there are lots of unique opinions on the best way to do it. Curriculum vitae creators are interactive on-line studienordnung templates that enable you to link information and generate a coherent curriculum. Resumes could possibly be organized in a number of means. Writing resumes may be very tiresome and time-consuming. If you prefer assistance determining the best method to accomplish this, check into the office worker job application examples and expert writing tips. Breath fashion The fashion editors work is occasionally a passion become a complete time job. Do an excellent research Your search about the organization and job description enable you to compose a resume relevant to the work description. Getting accepted for the ideal post for you however isnt always as easy as you would hope as any fantastic position will have a number of others chasing it. Resume editing isnt much simpler. Composing resume with the aid of curriculum vitae templates readily on the web is one of the most most efficient system of posting resumes that ensure youre utilizing the proper format and right information thats appropriate for the job that youre applying for. Resume Builder.com Secrets That No One Else Knows About Find the resume that you would like to delete. In case you believe that you dont will have to create a resume template thus you may w ant to read further to determine why specifically you need to work out the way to compose a resume. A template could possibly be a one-page resume, or a two-page resume, but until you realize what youd want to devote the resume that you do not understand what duration will probably work best. Top Choices of Resume Builder.com When applying for a job for a console operator, its advised that you demonstrate excellent time management and the capability to learn new things fast. The extra price of your work is to provide a care free and risk free experience that enables your customers to concentrate on the reach of their trip and not the logistic particulars. Each and every work schriftart needs different type of resumes. Sometimes your own personal style must be a style statement by itself and to get a signature feature, like your hair, scarf or shoes. The very last thing you would like is for your resume to let you down when youre actually the most suitable pick for the job. U sually personal instance is a good starting point and theres a greater prospect of individuals wanting to rise to the expectations, in the event the VP is a success story himself. You require good public speaking abilities and a means to explain so that individuals remember what youre saying. You must have excellent active listening abilities and find a great time for your prospective client, a moment when theyre ready to pay attention and you arent intruding. What You Need to Do About Resume Builder.com Communication is among the many skills designers want to carry in their toolbox. Keywords are still quite vital for human resource reviewers Resume Templates also be sure that you may miss out any valuable bit of information about yourself which could be important for the corporation. You will be able to download your favourite template for a portable document format at once, or youll be able to download all your details so that it is possible to edit them in Word or Google D ocs. Unfortunately, most job applicants dont recognize the significance of supplying a really impressive resume. You are then going to be in a position to see real-time information about jobs which youve applied for. Its possible to spare a search to automatically search for new jobs that match what youre searching for. The work search may be a lengthy process just consider the statistics below Traveling Most clients need you to travel to their location and supply a demonstration of product features. The more you understand about various jobs in a wide scope of industries, the more you are able to help your clients be useful through their intellectual or physical skills. If you own a niche region of specialization in your military branch, share it. USA Staffing is going to be the single hiring procedure and tool utilized by all DoD components.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Working At Justworks

Working At Justworks Justworks is helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow with confidence. In addition, theyre always looking for smart, creative, optimistic, and hard-working people to join their team. If this sounds like you, click here to see all available opportunities at Justworks and dont forget to press Follow to receive custom job matches, event invitations and more One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stere otype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the wertzuwachs of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the differen ce in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.b r/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($ 67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Youll be hired by a stranger

Youll be hired by a strangerYoull be hired by a strangerWhile youre reviewing the tens of thousands of job openings on Ladders this week, here are three ways you might be sabotaging your own job search.1. Can a stranger read your resume?Print out your resume. Rip off the top third of it. Hand it to somebody you dont know.Without asking you any additional questions, can they read the top third of your resume and determine what you want to do next?For too many professionals like you, the answer is no.When we try to tell readers of our resumes everything about us, we wind up telling them nothing special about us. Too much unfocused information, and you lose their attention.What does the reader of your resume want to know?Does this gal, or guy, want this job that I have open? And have they done it before?Obviously, given that youve spent the time to create a resume and send it to them, they know you want a job. But do you want this particular job?Is it something that youve done before? I f so, did you like it? If so, do you want to do it again?I know it seems obvious to you that you want the type of job that youre looking for.But strangers dont know that. And, chances are, youll be hired by a stranger.So its important that you make it easy for strangers to know what you want.Show them, at the very top of your resume, what job you want, and why youre qualified for it, and why you want to do it again. Youre not going to list every skill and experience you have, but rather youre giving the reader a sense of what you can do.If they cant tell, by reading the top-third of your resume, what you want to do next, then youll never get to the next step.2. Did you talk to a live partie today?The internet delivers you news, information, funny cat videos, electronic books, fashionable shopping, and, via Ladders, the latest and greatest job listings at the $100K+ level.So hooray for the internet.But heres the truth - the internet is not going to hire you.No, youll be hired by a l iving, breathing, thinking, smiling partie.So the question is did you talk to that person today? Did you try to?Its important, while youre searching, looking and applying to all those great jobs that you find here, that you also realize that you need to make a priority of talking to people.And by that I mean a live human voice, in person or on the phone. Email and text and Snapchat dont count.Have you called your old contacts? Returned the call from the company that perhaps youre only mildly interested in? Have you taken a former colleague to lunch? Did you call back the recruiters youve met over the past six months? Drop by a conference?Connecting with people, live, in person or on the phone, is essential to getting hired. Too often, we fool ourselves into believing that self-directed activity is the best way to get hired. Its not. Connecting with others is.If youre more of an introvert, or more comfortable communicating by writing than by speaking, you can still connect with other s. Im not going to mislead you and say that its better, but its still sufficient if you write thoughtful, sensible blog posts, comments, emails and contributions on industry-related topics and threads. But its important that youre connecting with others, not just yourself.When it comes to getting hired, you need to ensure that every day is a talk to a person who could potentially hire me day.Because eventually one of them will.3. E-mail addressWhat elektronischer brief address do you use professionally?If youre using AOL, or your local cable provider, you could be inadvertently shooting yourself in the foot.Only 3% of new users at Ladders sign up with AOL email addresses these days. And just 4% use Hotmail.com. If youre still using AOL or Hotmail to represent yourself professionally, it could be sending a signal that youre uncomfortable with new technology and that you havent prioritized keeping your skills up-to-date.Using your local cable providers default e-mail - whether its be llsouth.net, optonline.net, or tampabay.rr.com - increases the chances of a typo leading to a missed connection. Because people dont pay as much attention to what theyre typing after the sign, using less-familiar domains in your e-mail should be avoided.Just over 55% of new users at TheLadders use gmail.com. Because gmail is well-known for its utility, ease-of-use, and power, using gmail as your address is a smart move that also sends the message that youre up-to-date with the times.Whats before the sign is important too.Common household or joint email strategies such as jimandnancy, smithhousehold, or bluthfamily are not good e-mail addresses to use for your professional life. Professionals are accustomed to writing directly to other professionals. Requesting that they e-mail your spouse kids when contacting you is awkward.The best email address is your first name, followed by a dot, followed by your last name, at gmail.comsheldon.coopergmail.comIf thats taken, then for the pur poses of your job search, add next years number to your addresssheldon.cooper.2018gmail.comYoure probably going to be using this e-mail address into the New Year anyway and starting now makes you seem ahead of the times. And everybody wants to hire somebody from the future, right?So those are the three things you might be doing to sabotage your own efforts in the job search, Readers. Avoid them and prosper.Im rooting for youP.S. The fourth thing youre doing to sabotage yourself? Seasoned. If youre using the word seasoned to describe yourself dont.

Friday, November 22, 2019

This is the most painless way to tell employees bad news

This is the most painless way to tell employees schwimmbadeanstalt berichterstattungThis is the most painless way to tell employees bad newsBeing the bearer of bad news in the office is always an unpleasant task, but there are some methods that are more unpleasant than others. A new survey of preferred methods of giving and getting bad news found that most of us prefer directness and candor over the cushion of small talk when discussing the breakdown of social relationships - like a breakup with your romantic partner or your employer. We just want to know where the fire is so we can get out.In a survey of 145 participants, Brigham Young University linguistics professor Alan Manning and the University of South Alabamas Nicole Amare got participants to rate how they would want to receive different bad news scenarios. The majority of participants valued clarity and directness over being eased into the information.If youre on the giving end, yeah, absolutely, its probably more comfortab le psychologically to pad it out - which explains why traditional advice is the way it is, Manning said. But this survey is framed in terms of you imagining youre getting bad news and which version you find least objectionable. People on the receiving end would much rather get it this way.The survey showed how we dont want to hear bad news. Heres how to deliver it to your co-workers with grace and compassion for them1) No small talkGood managers who make small talk before delivering bad news are usually considerate, compassionate people who think that talking about an employees family or weekend plans is a polite way to lift an employees spirits before delivering the crushing blow.But the most compassionate move is to be direct about the bad news. Of course, you dont want to just blurt out, Youre fired for all to hear, but the researchers suggested that the buffer can be as small as telling the employee we need to talk. Thats enough to signal the severity of the situation. Once you get the employee in a one-on-one setting away from prying eyes, rip the BandAid off quickly and explain why youve called for this meeting.2) No corporate jargonNervous managers often use corporate speak or legalese to hide behind the weight of their actions when saying terrible news, thinking that it will lessen the pain - or, at least, ease their personal pain at having to do this. Im not telling you bad news, the companys jargon is telling you bad news. Its a passive way to distance yourself from a crisis. I once had a manager who announced a series of layoffs at my company as employees being impacted, a euphemism that created confusion and chaos in an already emotional period at work.Deliver the unfortunate news clearly without metaphor, so that employees can process the bad information more quickly instead of wasting time deciphering jargon from meaning.3) Let the recipient of bad news express emotionAcknowledge the emotion in the situation. After bad news like terminations, l ayoffs, or pay cuts, grief, shock, and anger are to be expected. Have tissues on hand.Allow employees to vent their frustrations at the news, but dont get into a debate, because the information youre delivering is not a negotiation, its a fact.4) Time it wellOnce you learn of bad news youll need to deliver to an employee, its best to schedule a time as soon as possible with as much discretion as you can. As career coach Hallie Crawford notes about a speedy news delivery, Letting the person know as soon as possible is a way to show that you respect him or her, and again,show your professionalism.Unless the news is very urgent, career experts suggest timing it for end of day when fewer people will be in the office. The overarching goal with any advice on how to give bad news compassionately is to preserve the dignity of the recipient as much as possible. That means no babying them with overly polite small talk. It means treating them as a professional and telling them straight up what s wrong.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Americans spend 22% of monthly income treating themselves

Americans spend 22% of monthly income treating themselvesAmericans spend 22% of monthly income treating themselvesTreating ourselves to a nice dinner or a fun concert may help us feel good, but it can come at a high cost. A recent survey of 2,000 Americans by Eventbrite and research company OnePoll found that we spend about $199 a month, or 22% of our disposable income, on non-essential items for ourselves.All those pedicures, massages, and nice fancy treat yourself moments quickly add up to $2,388 a year.We would rather pay more for experiencesWe feel less guilty about paying a premium for once-in-a-lifetime experiences than for luxury retail items. Participants said they felt twice as guilty for spending money on material goods than for experiences, which may explain why Americans spent a high average of $368 on special one-time experiences.Lately, self-care has become a popular catchphrase that encompasses everything from self-esteem and self-improvement to material luxuries we us e to self-soothe our weary, worried brains. The business of self-care - all those wellness institutes, motivational speakers and self-help books promising to heal us physically, mentally, financially or spiritually - are clearly convincing us, or at least, our wallet. Self-care is estimated to be a $9.9 1000000000000 dollar industry. Its no wonder that we are tempted to spend more to attain a better self.After a long day at work, it is good to wind down and treat yourself kindly. Just remember to not get played by the expensive temptation of self-care. It is possible to make a self-care routine that feels extravagant without the price tag of extravagance.