Preventing Burnout in the Multi-generational Gig Economy

Preventing Burnout in the Multi-generational Gig Economy Nuffield Health’s latest whitepaper  The effects of remote working on stress, wellbeing, and productivity  â€" has discovered remote working correlates with higher workplace wellbeing but can also offer unique business challenges. Hectic schedules and long hours have become an increasingly prevalent issue across offices and the rising gig economy, with a new study fromGalluprevealing 23 percent of employees feel constantly burnt out. Staff â€" in particular, remote workers are also failing to fully disconnect themselves from work during holidays and time off. Nuffield Health recently described this growing epidemic asWorkplace Separation Anxiety. So how can businesses support today’s rising gig economy? Changing stereotypes When it comes to remote working, businesses are often told it can increase productivity and benefit employee mental health. However, our studies show working more than 2.5 days a week from home can be associated with a breakdown in colleague relationships and an overall reduction in job satisfaction. Not only this, but remote working is also often perceived as a ‘young person’s need’. However,our whitepaperrevealed the 16-39 age makes up the smallest portion of remote workers. However, the picture is complex, and it may not be age per se that mediates this, but the fact as you get older you are more likely hold a more senior position (with more ability to choose remote working) and you’ve had time to develop the skills necessary for remote working. So, remember, no employee is the same. Everyone thrives under different conditions so keep this ‘front of mind’ when considering your team’s needs and who is actually best suited to remote working opportunities. Suitability Making a conscious decision to dismiss inaccurate, business stereotypes about who will thrive in a remote working environment brings a fresh opportunity to fully ascertain the suitability of employees for remote working. Remember, an individual is not better suited by age or length of service, but by their ability to be productive and maintain a healthy relationship with work outside the office. Also, note that suitability is not a fixed trait, additional training can be delivered to improve the ability to thrive remotely. Those able to use their initiative and who are confident tackling tasks alone are suited to working remotely, plus employees who are self-disciplined and self-motivated, as they’ll be required to manage much of their time. Trust building In any business, there needs to be a healthy relationship and trust between managers and their team members. If remote workers don’t perceive there to be trust, then this can lead to overworking and increased levels of stress in the remote worker. For remote working to succeed for both sides, there must be regular communication, with agreements between management and the wider team as to when remote employees can be contactable, how often face-to-face office meetings should take place and what the arrangements should be in the case of an emergency. These decisions come down to each employee’s role and seniority in the company. Senior workers may require fewer contact hours and catch-ups. New or more junior members of the team may benefit from more office time as it provides networking opportunities, team bonding, and better coaching. Provide the right mental health support Statisticssuggest mental health ill health can develop more frequently amongst remote workers, as they may find themselves separated from communication channels and support mechanisms. If colleagues are frequently working away, keep in touch often and promote active, open communication as this can help alleviate stress caused by isolation. Employers can also use digital platforms to further promote and support health awareness.Platforms like Nuffield Health’sPATHask employees to input lifestyle data and recommend interventions based on individual lifestyles. These allow staff working away from the office to access relevant help and seek more personalized interventions, rather than employers providing a few generic services. Build better relationships with freelancers Over 45 percent of companies have had remote staff or freelancers contracted for short term projects. With freelancing now so common, it’s important to consider these employees’ needs as well. Freelancers suffer the same burnout and disengagement issues as full-time office colleagues, so ensure they have equal access to the same HR resources and help as the full-time team. This may include negotiating deadlines that prevent overworking or extending employee benefits to longer-term freelancers to help alleviate some stresses, like healthcare. About the author: Brendan Street, Professional Head of Emotional Wellbeing at Nuffield Health. He has 30 years’ experience in treating mental health problems in the NHS and private sectors. He has delivered mental health treatments in various settings; hospital, community, offenders/prison, and homeless hostels, employment/corporate, to adults and children suffering from a wide range of conditions (psychosis, anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD). He also regularly delivers presentations regarding mental health within corporate settings and at prominentconferences. Brendan is a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and Supervisor, fully qualified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) practitioner, and NMC registered Mental Health Nurse.

Why Cultural Fluency Is Important to Your Career Success -

Why Cultural Fluency Is Important to Your Career Success - In recent years, it has become a requirement for managers working in multinational companies to have international work experience to be able to advance their career further into senior leadership positions. These companies work in global markets and senior executives are required to collaborate with team members in different countries. At some point, they may also be assigned to head a team overseas. Having international work experience will certainly increase their effectiveness and thus their values to the companies they work for. Nowadays, international work experience no longer needs to be a long-term posting. Short-term overseas work placement has become more popular. Indeed, short-term and medium-term overseas relocation are more ideal for promotion than long-term relocation as managers can focus on growing their career in their home country.   In any case, cultural fluency and foreign language skills are critical to your success. Learn A Culture That Is Very Different from Your Own Although English speaking countries like Singapore, Canada and Australia top the chart when it comes to expat destinations, they are quite similar to American culture.   So if you are assigned to work in culturally similar destinations, you won’t really experience the challenge of international job postings. You will also face a higher level of competition with people who want to be assigned to these popular destinations. Moreover, to be a well-rounded global leader, you will be better off learning a culture that is significantly different from your own. Also, you will face less competition. Everyone Who Works Globally Needs Cultural Fluency It is a good idea to have cultural fluency in at least one of America’s major trading partners.   China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany and South Korea are the top six. Cultural fluency is useful not only to people who work in multinationals, but everyone who works with people from different cultures. Depending on your industry and interest, you may want to choose a culture to focus on. Your job may require you to work with people from a particular country regularly.   Your main customers may come from a certain country.    Or you have spotted an opportunity in a specific market. “Language is the road map of a culture.” Costs and risks of relocation are lowered when you speak the language of the host country, making the ability to speak a foreign language an invaluable asset. When expats are surveyed on what they wish they know before being relocated to make their experience better, they say it is the ability to speak the language of the host country. Cross-cultural training is important.   But not being able to speak the host country’s language can be a real hassle for daily work and life. Imagine working in Japan and not speaking Japanese, a country that uses very little English, life can be very isolated. Communication is key when it comes to collaboration. True, the country you are assigned to may have staff members who speak English.   You can hire an interpreter, but that is not always practical. Direct translation between two languages of very dissimilar culture is not always effective, especially in a professional context. Work can be more effective when you can communicate in the language of your work partners. You will be pleasantly surprised by the personal journey of your language learning experience. Not only will t broaden your career opportunities, but also your social opportunities. . This post is sponsored by Asian Language School, a language trainer for professionals specializing in business Chinese and Japanese.

Feeling Angry at your Boss Try a Voodoo Doll

Feeling Angry at your Boss Try a Voodoo Doll Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'XJZgoOZCT1tr2mhLJAGezg',sig:'w6ehxcH21xFN3ItmeX1vnn4yD-i9ZZv2V6C7IJ0y2Yw=',w:'506px',h:'338px',items:'97612152',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); First, thank you, thank you, thank you, to the scientists who dreamed up this study.   It takes a special kind of inquiring mind to ask the question: would aggrieved workers feel better if they stuck pins in a voodoo doll that represents their boss?   The answer, unsurprisingly, is yes. According to an article on the SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) site, “Two studiesâ€"one involving a survey of 195 full-time working adults in the U.S. and Canada, and another of 150 business-school students at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) in Waterloo, Ontarioâ€"looked at whether symbolically retaliating against an abusive supervisor restores a sense of justice.” Lead researcher Lindie H. Liang, assistant professor at WLUs Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, said, “The dolls served as harmless acts of symbolic retaliation against their supervisor. The stress relieving action may have an impact on productivity, stress-related illness, tardiness, and absenteeism, making voodoo dolls a valuable workplace tool. But wisely, the researchers recommend that management focus on fixing the underlying morale problems rather than simply handing out dolls. Negative emotions are generally not expressed in the workplace; we try to suppress anger and unhappiness because we view them as unprofessional. But Peter Jordan, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, writing for a site called theconversation.com, says: “Research shows that human beings experience more negative emotions than positive emotions, and that this is an evolutionary response enabling self-protection. Indeed, the number of words we have for negative emotions in the English language far outweighs the number of words we have for positive emotions.” It’s not healthy to swallow anger on a regular basis. Anger in the workplace is usually a response to a perceived injustice. Nando Pelusi Ph.D., writing for Psychology Today, says “Injustice collecting springs from a sensible motive: the monitoring of fairness as a form of self-protection, an impulse that evolved among social creatures who depended on one another. Nursing grudges may have raised our odds of survival and reproduction, however unconsciously.” We get angry, he says, when we spot freeloaders or someone we think has broken the social contract. And we get more angry when we feel helpless to correct the injustice, as, for example, when we think our boss is being unfair. Pelusi has some suggestions for dealing with anger caused by workplace injustice. Among them: Its not all or nothing. Does this injustice have to affect all areas of my life every second? The answer better be, Definitely not. Nor is unfairness in all ways a disadvantageâ€"unless you define it as such. Make a choice. Can I still work to build a meaningful life in spite of this unfairness and disadvantage? If you have trouble saying yes, realize you are making a choiceâ€"by refusing to get over something you cannot change. Question your anger. If you find yourself  grieving  excessively about an injustice, stop yourself and ask, Will the situation change by my being upset? Mind your language. Instead of saying, This is unfair, say, This is annoying. It is what it is. This verbal shift will help you keep perspective. Or buy a voodoo doll.   Here’s a link with a nice selection for convenient purchase and 2-day delivery.

9 Ways to Prepare for a Layoff in 2020

9 Ways to Prepare for a Layoff in 2020 So, the time has come. You hear rumors floating around the office that layoffs are coming and you feel your job might be at risk.So, how can you prepare for layoffs, especially as an executive?You are in a tricky spot. You don’t want to abandon your company, butyou see the writing on the wall. At the end of the day, it is every person for themselves.You can take several steps to ensure the layoff process goes smoothly.Being proactive can go a long way.You don't need to end up blindsided.After all, you have a successful and storied career that should be honored.Be enthusiastic that you will find another executive job, but in the meantime, it is important to prepare for the layoff.Let’s discuss how you can jump into your next executive role ASAP.1. Update Your Executive ResumeOne of the first things to take care of when preparing for a layoff is your resume.An outdated, poorly writtenresume can quickly turn a potential executive opportunity into a long-gone opportunity.Take a long hard look at your resume and ask yourself this:Would you hire yourself if your resume came across your desk? Be honest!(Note: this should be a common theme throughout this process. Stay honest with yourself and stay focused.)Translating all of your experience and skills into a resume that tells your story is a difficult task. You are not an expert in everything, after all.There surely have been instances in your career where you passed a task off to someone who is better at it. This is just another one of those situations.Hiring a resume writer is a great step towards creating a resume that will secure you that next executive job.Since you’ve reached the executive level of your career, you need a resume writer who is not just your typical run-of-the-mill writer.You need a resume writer that specializes in taking your long, accomplished career and turning it into a resume that showcases just that.Many resume services offer executive resumes, but you should go with a service that tr uly has a focus on executives.Don't expect to pay $200 for quality. You will most likely have the most success paying between $750 - $1,500 for an executive resume.(Check out our list ofthe best executive resume writing services.)Below you’ll find a sample resume (first page only) from the leading U.S. executive resume service, Find My Profession.If your resume doesn’t look anything like this one, you should definitely consider hiring a professional resume service.2. Budget Conservatively: 6-12 MonthsBe frugal! The average executive job search lasts ninemonths.Keep in mindthat this is just the average;many people we have talked to have beenout of an executive job for more than a year.Budgeting for that amount of time can be very difficult.Talk to your financial advisor and creditors about your situation. Keep them in the loop about what is going on. Discuss how you can handle it together.They will appreciate the transparency and will be more willing to work together.Talk to your family and work with them to establish what expenses need to stay and what can go. Dining out, for example, is a luxury that should be eliminated.Also, think about ...Sporting events Vacations New clothes Other expenses that can wait while you are on the job searchAs a high-earning executive, you may be accustomed to a certain quality of life.However, now is not the time to continue with your current spending habits.Maintain just the essentials in your life and hunker down. Your next executive job will be here before you know it!Healthcare and insurance can beanother tricky world to navigate.Some government assistance will cover health insurance for afew months after you get laid off. The Cobra program allows you to keep your company health insurance for 18 months after you lose your job.The downside?You have to pay 100% of the insurance costs yourself; you would need to allocate several hundred or even thousand dollars to your insurance each month.If you have a spouse who works,co nsider utilizing their job's health insurance.Every situation is different and only you can decide the best route.In the meantime, to earn extra money, you could always start a side hustle.Your experience as an executive is incredibly valuable.A popular option is to start your own consulting firm on the side.It will allow you to bring in extra money while utilizing your talent. You can also make connections and earn income when things are slow. Plus, you can keep it up even once you’re in your next position.Find My Profession offers executive job search services and reports that 83% of their clients find an executive job within six months due to their help.That is a much quicker rate than the national average and is definitely an investment to consider.3. Begin to NetworkNetwork! Seriously, talk to anyone you can find.You never know who is going to lead you to your next big opportunity.Start with friends and family;this results in 10% of executivehires. Move on to former co-worker s you had a good relationshipwith. Networkwith past managers and find out what they are up to.If they are at a new company, ask to meet them for coffee so you can catch up.Begin to contact anyone in your life that might knowwhat an asset you are to an organization.This could be alumni, people you volunteer with, etc.You don't have to go to awkward networkingevents and mixers to meet people.These days, most networking can be done via phone, email, LinkedIn, or in-personover coffee/lunch.We have heard many stories of afriend or coworker contributing to a new job opportunity. This interaction leads tonearly 1/3 of all new executive hires.On a more personal level, be honest with friends and family.Those who love you will be supportive of your layoff and will provide moral support and additional networking opportunities.4. Stay Calm and Enjoy Your Time OffRelax.As long as you stay calm and focused, you will find a job in no time.If you have some savings, make sure that you enjoy your tim e off a little.Spend more time with family and friends. Take a vacation. Work on your relationship with your significant other or children.There are so many positive avenues where you can direct your energy.Make the effort to be in the right headspace mentally so that you cannail any upcomingjob interviews.Take time to evaluate what you are looking for in a position. The last thing you want to do is relive this job search process by quitting a new job because it's not the right fit for you.The time off may giveyou a new perspective on things.You might consider a different vocational direction than you initially thought.No matter what the future may hold, staying relaxed throughout the process will help things go as smoothly as they can.5. Consider Hiring an Executive Job Search FirmA job search is arguably one of the most difficult tasks that anyone faces.An executive job search is even more difficult.Why?There are fewer opportunities. The competition is tougher.Using a professional ly managed job search firm can help you connect with the right companies and opportunities, saving you hundreds of hours.Find My Profession offers a Career Coaching Service that will manage your entire executive job search.Not only will they write your resume, LinkedIn, and cover letter, but they will also search for jobs, apply to jobs, and network on your behalf.Below is an illustration showing the time you could save by hiring an executive search firm for your job search.When working with Find My Profession, younot only should expect to reduce the amount of time you have to spend doing something you hate, you can also expect more interviews and offers.6. Start Your Job Search...Yesterday!The best time to start your executive job search was yesterday.The second best time is now.Do not wait until the layoffs are announced by the CEO; start looking right away if you suspect layoffs are coming.Again, the executive job search can take months and even years.Getting a headstart on the s earch can help you get ahead of the other executives that are also being laid off. Naturally, this can put you in a better spot.Who knows? You may have a new job lined upby the time layoffs are announced.7. Develop Your Routine + SkillsWith all of your new free time, it can be difficult to maintain a strict schedule.You can easily find yourself sleeping until noon every single day.Maintaining a productive routine is a great way to ensure that you are ready to jump back into another position and perform to an incredibly high level.If you haven't already, try getting a gym membership.Commityourself to get up and goto the gym every single morning, which is a healthy habit to kick off your day in a productive manner.You can get a head start on the day, then come home and continue your job search and/or accomplish other productive tasks.Use this time to develop new skills orbuild on skills you already have.There are plenty of free online classes you can take to help develop and nurtureyo ur skills. Check out Coursera and Udemy, which both have interesting and useful classes and courses for free or at a low cost.You can catch up on the latest finance, marketing, sales, engineering, or any other industry trend by taking a few classes.Showing this initiative will impress potential employers and move you to the front of the pack.There are even certificates you can earn after completing these courses!It’s always nice to add relevant talents to your resume.8. Perform Charity WorkGiving back to your community is one of the most important activities that you can perform as a citizen, especially an executive.Taking time after you have been laid off to help out those less fortunate can make a difference in your happiness and perspective during this uncertain time.Volunteer opportunities can also be a great way to network.Never go into a charity or volunteer event with that expectation, but you never know who you could run into.Helping out a nonprofit or other charitable bus iness using your executive experience is another great way to build more experience and connections.Businesses will be very grateful for your time and efforts.If nothing directly comes fromit, no big deal. The most important thingis putting good energy back into the universe.9. Start Your Own BusinessSince you are a seasoned executive, you have the necessary experience and abilities to start whatever business you want.As long as you have a solid business plan, you can bring your idea to fruition.If you need financing, a bank may even be interested in financing your business.Starting a business can be more time consuming than an executive role. You have to wear many different hats that you are not experienced in. Talk to other business owners about how they started their business.That networking is invaluable.You can learn and understand if starting a business is for you.Hey, you might end up getting a job offer as an executive if you talk to the right business owner.

Resume and CV Resources and Tools For Job-Seekers

Resume and CV Resources and Tools For Job-Seekers Photo Credit -Usnews.comIt’s a plain and simple fact that it is tough to find a job in the current economy. The job market is just brimming with qualified applicants, all fighting over the same few vacancies. This means that whether you’re a recent college graduate, or an experienced professional looking to try something new, your CV or Resume absolutely has to stand out from the crowd.Relying on wowing your potential employer face-to-face in an interview is a plan that is set to fail, as only those candidates with the best CV and resume will even make that stage of the process. It’s hard to make yourself stand out when so many people have similar qualifications, but there are some tools available to ensure that your CV doesn’t include any common mistakes.Online Proofreading and Editing ResourcesevalOnline proofreading and editing resources can provide great insight regarding mistakes you are making. It can often be difficult to critique ourselves, and friends and family are often too kind to provide real feedback.evalHaving the option to send your work to a professional can massively improve your chances of success, as these experts know exactly what your resume or CV should contain, and are entirely sure of the appropriate language and tone.This service is available through Big Assignments, which is extremely simple and easy to use. They are able to proofread documents, however they can also be used as an online CV writing service, and put all of your skills, talents and accomplishments into practice.Improve Your Writing SkillsYou can also choose to learn from professionals, by following guides online such as those available with Australian Help, or even take some quality writing courses. Real online writing courses will place you in a great position to not only write your CV, but also come up with business plans, proposals, and web content in the future.A great example of a professional course that’s available specifically aimed at writing is Acade mized. This is a course that would help your CV writing, and also be a great addition to your CV, as it is a recognised and desirable qualification.Use Online TemplatesOne of the hardest things to do when you’re staring at a blank page and trying to write a CV is knowing where to start. There’s a whole range of templates available that can give you a great format that you can adapt to your specific skill sets. This is a great way to figure out what is relevant and what isn’t, and where you should include certain pieces of information about yourself.Having a CV littered with irrelevant information, or overly long for the job you’re applying for can be extremely off putting for a potential employer, and is likely to result in your CV being thrown in the trash. Do You Buzz is a great option for a resume builder, and takes a lot of the pressure off designing your CV, and helps you come up with a brilliant layout, filled with the relevant content with no hassle at all.The templat e can also jog your memory and remind you of skills, qualifications, and experience you have, that you may have forgotten about when you’re trying to remember things from school. As it’s easy to draw a blank, the template is a great way to just get started and put pen to paper, and of course there’s no obligation to keep the template in it’s initial format. You can change the template and alter it to your taste, however it’s definitely a good place to start.Check And Double Check EverythingevalWhatever you write should be looked over with a fine toothed comb before it’s uploaded to a job site or sent out to any potential employers. You should be sure that there are no errors at all, that the language is perfect and there are no spelling and grammar errors. If there’s a limit on the length of your application, you should be making sure you keep track of that too.Some of the best tools out there for this kind of proof reading your CV are completely free and available onl ine. One is the Hemingway App, which makes sue your writing is strong and to the point. This is a step further than a spelling and grammar checker, as it will also look for too many adverbs, complicated clauses and other mistakes that could drag down your CV.Always Be AppropriateeevalA Readability Score can also make sure that you’re not writing at too high or low a level for the job you’re applying for, as being appropriate is essential, and can make you seem like a good fit. As you should keep in mind the length of your document, you can keep an eye on your word count with Easy Word Count.While no tools can give you qualifications or experience, they can make sure that all of your skills are well presented on a CV with flawless layout, helping you to stand out from the crowd.

Good Work Project - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Good Work Project - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Okay, here is a little guest blogger entry. I saw Alexander this weekend at the countryside and he looked extremely well, tanned and happy even without work ;-) Especially in volleyball and inventing games with the kids his karma shone. Ok, I am the friend that Alexander has mentioned in other entries and I am proud to write on his site. The sharing I would like to do here is to share a website about The Good Work Project. The guys behind this are no less than Howard Gardner (inventor of the Multiple Intelligences), Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (inventor of the concept of Flow and William Damon (probably inventor of something cool as well). Through its various studies, The Good Work project, researches how leading professionals carry out work that is of high quality and socially responsible. Exciting. If you want to know more about this, then go to: www.goodworkproject.org Cheers out there! Carsten Ohm www.flowgame.net www.pioneersofchange.net Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How to Write a Great Resume With Guest Service

How to Write a Great Resume With Guest ServiceWriting a great resume that will get you hired for a new job can be tricky but the trick is how to do it the right way. One way to start is to use a great resume writer that will help you to compose an effective resume that will stand out among the thousands of others. Here are some tips on how to write a great resume.The first thing that you need to do is outline your qualifications and good career skills. It is important to emphasize how qualified you are to do the job and the reasons why you should be hired. When doing this, it is best to be realistic in what you expect to get out of the job. Do not use unrealistic expectations that will make you appear less than qualified.Explain how you have accomplished your goals for the company that you are applying to. When done properly, it will show your self-motivation. However, just because you are self motivated does not mean that you are qualified for the job. Be sure to provide all of the necessary information that will help your case.Next, write the points that you want included in your resume. This is where a great resume writer can really come into play. He or she will know what type of information is needed to be included and will tell you how to organize it in the right way so that you will be properly read.Example is essential. Be sure to provide a sample resume if you are going to use one. It may seem unprofessional if you send a completed form with a resume without a sample. An example can also make you seem more professional because they give you an idea of what type of cover letter is needed.The last tip that I can offer is to prepare an outline of the parts of the resume that are required and include the details of the data that you want to include. By creating a cohesive resume, it will appear that you went through the time and effort to create one. Remember that your resume is the first impression that will be shown to the employer.The beauty of having a good resume is that you can get it to get you the job that you are looking for. Guest service will get you noticed by the boss so that you can then show them what you can do for them. It is better to get one, two, or three guest services instead of trying to go through your traditional marketing method which is the resume.A great career takes time to build. Whether you are a recent college graduate or an experienced professional, it will take some effort on your part. Guest service can help you focus on your personal and professional growth to make you that much more successful.