Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Are Your Business Processes Stalled

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are Your Business Processes Stalled If your business process management isn’t up to par, you’re not alone. At the Six Sigma IQ website, BPM expert Dan Morris assured readers that many companies suffer from stalled BPM. But whether you are stuck on simple improvements rather than true transformations or whether you are being overly tactical instead of strategic, there is a way out of the tunnel. What’s your first step? Morris offered a self-test that can help you identify whether your BPM is in need of some adjustment. Does it seem like few really significant changes (transformational) get done? Are most of your BPM projects really just improvements on what is already being done? Do your projects challenge fundamental concepts in the way the business functions? Do your business managers think the projects make a real difference? Are your change projects normally considered to be successful by senior management? Do your BPM project benefits really make a difference to the bottom line (e.g. cost reduction or sales expansion)? Is the head of your BPM group considered a trusted business partner by business key managers â€" is he or she invited to their business operation meetings? Is your BPM program expanding in the company? Is your BPM budget adequate to support a growing service group? Morris advised that in a nutshell, your answers to these questions will determine whether your business is improving significantly as a result of your BPM, and/or whether senior managers are getting the return they want from your efforts. If you thought you were doing a great job but the current answers to these questions involve a lot of “Nos”, you might be experiencing a setback that looks like this: Your group’s budget stagnates or increases very slowly The ability of your group to hire good people decreases and turnover is a problem The role that your group can play is limited BPM becomes a secondary concern with focus shifting to BPMS and IT application generation Your group is focused on chipping away at small improvements instead of projects that are big enough to make a difference in the company’s ability to compete Management’s expectations of your group are lower For the rest of the post, check out QuickBases Fast Track blog.

Can Recruiting with Facebook Work

Can Recruiting with Facebook Work You started off by being able to poke your friends, or look-up people you used to go to school with and add them to your account. Since then Facebook has introduced lots of different features for its users including adding filters to your photos, making voice and video calls, sharing pictures, and even changing your relationship status. But now  the social media site will allow you to post job adverts as well as  being able to apply for them. Its been testing it for a while but its now been rolled out for users in America and Canada. Facebooks VP of Ads and Business platform, Andrew Bosworth told Techcrunch  that it was aimed primarily at small businesses who are struggling to hire and casual job seekers who want a part-time or flexible role. It also means it could give LinkedIn a run for its money by capitalising on areas they dont really cater for: the lower-skilled and the non-job-seeker. While most people who are looking for a job or looking to hire will go to LinkedIn for their next opportunity, Facebook is taking a number of jobs to those who arent necessarily looking for one but may apply anyway. Why this is good news? The way it will work is that the new jobs feature  will show up in some peoples news feed, inviting them to apply for the job. Avid users of Facebook tend to log in at least once a day, or if theyre already logged in, they will dip in and out of the site. This means employers have numerous opportunities to grab the attention of a potential employee when the job advert shows in their news feeds. Its a win-win for employers as theyll be able to tap into an audience who may not have known that the company was hiring and when an applicant clicks on the Apply Now button, a form will appear with some of their information already completed  with some of the details  they used when signing up for Facebook, making it a simple  process. Why this is bad news? If you thought no-one would ever see those embarrassing photos or that drunkenly written post full of expletives well now is the time to be afraid. Very afraid. Because this new jobs feature makes it  easier  than ever for employers to discover them. If youre smart and quick enough then you can control what parts of your Facebook profile you choose to share with potential employers BEFORE you apply for that much-wanted job. But, it does  mean that its more important than ever to make sure your public posts are something youre happy to share with your future boss, because he or she is probably looking at them, even if they werent actively looking for them. Wendy Grahn, co-owner of the Chicago-based Lakeview Kitchen and Market has already used Facebooks new job ad feature. She said: We only had one response and she came directly into the shop. We talked and we hired her and its working out great. Im not sure if we had got more (applicants) but we didnt need it, so we closed the position. We are planning to use it again to hire for the Farmers Markets. Social media recruitment  continues to evolve in  2017  so while it is nothing new it is definitely getting bigger and better. Facebook has over a billion users worldwide so its a great opportunity for the company to earn (even more) money and for businesses to get more exposure. James Nathan of the James Nathan Experience: Is Facebook jobs a credible way to recruit? Well that all depends on the audience you are looking to appeal to. As with all online advertising, each media has its own target audience. Facebook has been a very successful platform for marketing many types of businesses, and follows that it should also be a helpful place to attract candidates for those types of businesses too. While the new job ads feature is being rolled out in North America there are no plans yet to introduce it to global audiences, although it may just be a matter of time until it is.

Classy Emerald A Fancy Word Resume Template Freebie

Classy Emerald â€" A Fancy Word Resume Template Freebie Classy Emerald â€" A Fancy Word Resume Template Freebie Job search sucks. We get it. You spend hours sending out your resumes…and then *crickets*. Nothing happens. No callbacks, no interview requests, nothing.You are wondering what is wrong with you? Are you aiming too high? You dont have what it needs to land that job? The answer may be much simpler. It’s your resume that sucks. Yes, that sounds harsh, but if you have just piled up all your career information in a Word document without following any resume format, you are probably getting rejected on autopilot by some HR software.Let’s put this to an end. This free resume template may be called fancy, but it in on point and highlights the best you can offer as a candidate. It is should help you get past those pesky electronic “gatekeepers” and land your resume on top of the pile (even if you are in a super competitive niche!).Download Classy Emerald for free! Add your personal information using Microsoft Word, and become one step closer to finding your next job.Pssst we also have a premium version of this template (for the price of two cups of coffee). You can check the details here! File size: 55 KB Format: .doc Downloaded 36,751 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the license terms for resources. Download previous article Essential Tips for More Productive Job Searching next article How To Brand Yourself Using Your Resume you might also likeThe Freelancers Resume Creative Resume Template for Independent Workers

The surprising advice many of us need to hear

The surprising advice many of us need to hear If you ever worry what it will look like when your kids take over your life, this is it: lunch at my investor’s favorite restaurant to discuss my sons cello lessons. Me getting there two hours early because one son has an orthodontist appointment and one son has a cello lesson and my husband is taking cows to market, so even in a family with two cars and a nanny and a driver, there is no way for me to get to my meeting on time unless I’m two hours early. I am working like most people who work from home. I am at a coffee shop. Except I am two hours from home and I am in front of the coffee makers at a gas station which I happen to know has great wi-fi. People who live in New York City keep a running list in their head of reasons they could never leave New York City. It’s a list of self-delusions (I’d have no friends) and sort-of delusional needs (there’s no roof-raised watercress). A frequent item on the list is I’d have to drink gas station coffee. I drink so much gas station coffee that Starbucks doesn’t taste like real coffee to me. I am debating whether or not to wear glasses at the meeting. It would be good to not have to see the investor. Who I will not name because he doesn’t read my blog, but I’m sure his family does, and I don’t want them to tell him that I think a lot about what I wear because I think the biggest value I bring to him is being fun. That’s why investors invest. They say, We invest in people not ideas,  but what they mean is, “My life is boring, and the only thing money can’t buy is interestingness, but I’m trying by investing in your company.” So I have to be interesting by toeing the line between hot and quirky. This is something that is not available to him because he has his wife who is just hot. I was going to wear big stripes and small stripes but I worried they made me look fat. When I told Cassie I am thinking of brocade because stripes are fattening she said, “Don’t worry. You’re so old that no one notices if you‘ve gained weight.” I think she meant that to be comforting. I have to get friends my own age. I wore brocade. On the drive into Madison I slept in the car. It is easier for me to sleep in the car than sleep in my bed. That’s how much driving I do. Well, that’s how much driving my driver does. I have not told my investors that I have a driver. Because while two out of my three investors have their own drivers, Im pretty sure theyd have a thing against funding founders with drivers. The trick to funding a company, for those of you who think you might be doing that, is to keep the founders in a state of financial insecurity so they think their life depends on getting the company off the ground. As a founder, it’s my job to convey financial duress but not financial meltdown. Today I am going to have to confess to driving twenty hours a week for cello lessons. And I am going to have to confess that while I did get a hotspot for the car so I could work in the car, I do not use the hotspot because the minute I get in the car I fall asleep. I was reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a book about a boy whose father is a high-level Nazi. The family has to live next door to Auschwitz, and to cope with that, his mom sleeps all day. The boy does not see the correlation between his father’s job and his mother’s sleeping. In a similar way, I hope, that my son does not see the correlation between the insane lengths we go for cello and my own sleeping. I hesitate to write insane. Because I see other parents doing it all the time. I see families relocating for their kid to train for the Olympics. I see families filing bankruptcy to keep their kid at an Olympic training facility. I see parents sending their kids halfway across the world to study with a special violin teacherwhile the parents remain in their home country. I am not the only one. It’s hard to tell the kid no when their whole life is about this one thing they love doing more than anything. It’s hard to say no when everyone around that kid is saying there’s a chance for him to be THE ONE. I am telling this to my investor. Over salmon, because under stress I order salmon because it’s always on the menu. Does it mean that I have a reading comprehension problem if I can’t read a menu in a social situation? My investor listens in a concerned way, and I know he’s hoping this doesn’t lead to a big mess. He’s funded two of my companies and he’s seen me through a financial implosion, and divorce, and massive relocation. I’m okay, I tell him. I’m hiring someone to help me deal with cello so that I can have time and focus to hire people at the company. Management takes focus and right now I can’t do that while I’m handling all the cello details. So I hired a music student from University of Wisconsin to practice with my son twice a week. But really I don’t want to miss being with my kids right now. I don’t mind doing all the music stuff, and I’m happy to be helping my other son prepare for his bar mitzvah and his dreams of getting a science Ph.D. I just worry that the company is not moving fast enough. But my investor says, Quistic is profitable. You can run it as a lifestyle business until the kids are older. Just keep profits increasing by 20% a year. That’s enough? Increasing profits by 20% a year is fine. Wow. That blows me away. It takes so much pressure off of me. And it means I’m doing everything fine. When I coach people who are trying to take care of kids and manage their career, they often book the coaching call to see what they can do to keep their career from flat-lining. And I tell them they are doing great. I tell them it’s an achievement to have a career you love and still have the time you want to be with your kids. I tell those people  their career doesn’t need to be growing as fast as it was before kids. It’s not a rule. It turns out many people  need a coaching call just to hear from someone they respect that they are doing fine. Their decisions are good. On the call it is so easy for me to see they are doing fine. It’s so clear to me. But in my own life, it’s not so clear. The biggest benefit to me having investors in Quistic is not their money â€" I would make enough money without having investors. The biggest benefit is having someone I respect involved with the company at such a close range that he can tell me it’s okay not to grow the company at a break-neck speed, because I am growing two kids at break-neck speed, and that’s enough for right now.

Not Growing Your Skillset Its Time to Quit Your Job CareerMetis.com

Not Growing Your Skillset It’s Time to Quit Your Job â€" CareerMetis.com Original Image Source â€" Depositphotos.comWhat new skills did you learn during the past month at work?And how are these skills pushing you closer to your career ambitions? If these two questions have left you feeling dumbstruck and speechless, your career may be beginning to stagnate.Spending too long in the same position could signal a bleak future at your current employer. But what’s worse is that this inhibits learning, stunts personal growth, and stalls your career.evalAlso note that jobs that only know how to take without giving are much more common than you think and this explains why 67% of employeesin the U.S. report to be disengaged at work.According to a 2018 LinkedIn report, 94% of employeeswere willing to stay in a company that gave them opportunities to learn.Moreover, learning at the workplace came out as the number 1 thing that makes employees happy, resulting in as much as 27% quitting owing to a lack of learning opportunities.Moreover, un-stimulating jobs that do not challenge employees are as likely to lead to burn-outas their frantic, fast-paced counterparts. And why won’t they? If employees pour in at least 40 hours a week into work that doesn’t challenge them, offers little to no learning, or is just plain boring, feelings of disengagement and detachment start taking the hold within.Despite the statistics, there are some employees that value job stability above everything else. Such individuals do not mind where life takes them so long as they can provide for themselves. If you are similarly unambitious, have a steady pay, and no qualms about your current work, then there’s nothing wrong with continuing to work in the same capacity that you’re used to.But if you had planned out a career for yourself, found a niche that you enjoyed working in, but have lost that rhythm to the monotony of your role, it is time to put a stop to this.What are the signs of stagnation?eval1) There isn’t enough time for learning at the job:The LinkedI n report also stated that the number 1 reason employees don’t learn at the job is that they don’t have the time. If you’re constantly swamped with repetitive, mind-numbing tasks, there isn’t going to be enough time to invest in yourself at work.evalBeing overworked with no reward in sight can be detrimental to both your mental and physical health. Consequently, this slowly kills your will to look forward to work or be passionate about the impact you create.2) Little to no autonomy in work tasks:While a lot of people claim that the old-school method of training employees has become obsolete, several managers still set up strict learning objectives, limiting the scope for their subordinates. Companies that allow this behavior could be shooting themselves in the foot since this kills creativity and cripples the workforce from developing new ideas and strategies. If this persists, you might not be able to bring anything new to the table in such an environment.3) Your manager doe sn’t encourage skill development:Managers have a massive impact on how you feel about work. If you’re stuck with one that doesn’t encourage learning, has no plans for nurturing your expertise, and doesn’t listen to you when you bring it up, it’s too toxic for you to work under them. 4) You’ve become complacent:In today’s world where job security is on the brink of extinction, you might not mind a humdrum job as long as it pays the bills. Steady income and growing familiarity turn into the quicksand that only makes it harder to quit as time passes by. Soon, you completely stop thinking about whether or not you’re enriching your mind.5) There isn’t anything left to learn: evalIn certain industries, spending too long in one position might leave you with little to explore. You’ve enhanced processes, put in contemporary techniques, and have had better results. Eventually, though, you learn that there’s nothing left to try out; you’ve come full circle.Can you fix t his while staying in your current company?Quitting a position you’ve put in so much time and effort and having to start from scratch at another company is going to be one of the toughest corporate experiences you’ll get. Let’s see if there are things you can do at work before you jump the gun and quit.Will your manager be happy to suggest online courses if you approached them? They might lend you an ear so bring up your reservations in a candid conversation. Tell them how grateful you are for their guidance and how much it has helped hone your professional skills, but also bring attention to your predicament. Your manager might realign your duties to make time for personal learning in your schedule. Additionally, they could suggest new domains that you can explore.Your company could also be offering learning programs that you may not be aware of. Bring this up with the HR department or suggest learning programs so your company can chalk out a much-needed employee training prog ram for individuals at all levels.Another low-risk opportunity lies in making a lateral move within your company and shifting to another department. If there’s a position at work that interests you, request a shift. Better yet, some employees will be willing to trade jobs for a week or so to kill the monotony for a while. Take this chance to see if you like a different line of work in your current industry.If all of these are a no-go, it’s time to move on from your company2.3% of the labor forcein America quits every year in search of better opportunities and is still able to find work elsewhere.Take the leap of faith! If you didn’t get enough time for learning at work, sign up for online courses or take workshops that provide professional training in your niche. You can also make use of simple tips and tricks that facilitate learning.It’s also worthwhile to connect with professionals in your network for advice or leads on building your expertise.Alternatively, you might’v e realized that the work is interesting, but there’s not much left to explore in your field or it just isn’t your true calling. If you feel like you’re in the wrong line of work, single out duties in your current role that kept you engaged; this could help direct you to a new vertical in a different industry. It’s never too late to change your career!evalBeing stuck in a rut leads to feelings of inadequacy and unfulfillment, to the point that it can potentially trickle down to all aspects of your life. Trying a new learning curve is a great way to create feelings of excitement and positivity. Your work has a huge impact on your mental and physical well-being so don’t settle for less. Write that letter!

Ricardo Semler - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Ricardo Semler - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog The ever blogging Chris Corrigan points to an excerpt of Ricardo Semlers book The Seven-Day Weekend. A small teaser: I believe the old way of doing business is dying, and the sooner its dead and buried the better off we all will be. Incendiary words, yet Semcos alliance with Cushman Wakefield, as well as other joint ventures that I will describe shortly, suggests that the transition from the old to the new can be hugely profitable and not nearly as socially disruptive as might be feared at first. On the contrary, the path Semco has been blazing for more than twenty years has led to an unprecedented record of innovation, customer satisfaction, growth, and an end to repressive command-and-control management practices that cause much labor unrest and personal misery, from the top to the bottom of many organizations. That does it, Semler is going on my list of people Ive gotta have a conversation with. 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 Many References on a Resume?

How Many References on a Resume?There are numerous questions in an interview about a resume and how many references it has. It is important to know the answer to this question to ensure that your resume is professional, but also to avoid making the interviewers wonder if you have any actual experience. The reason why they may ask this question is that many people write resumes without having any references to show.References on a resume can be listed on the form that is provided to the employer along with the resume. There are several ways that references can be listed. The answers will depend on your situation and the employer.A reference from someone you know personally will help your case. The best way to find references is to ask your friends and family members for recommendations. This means that it should be one person who has worked with the individual who you are trying to land a job. Another thing that will work as a reference is a reference from someone you have worked with .A reference from a previous employer is more of a recommendation than anything else. One way that you can get an employer to recommend you is to have a resume that shows your accomplishments. Some people choose to use these types of reference instead of using friends and family because there is no need to explain the details of what they did or didn't do.The third option is to use references from previous employers. However, this should be done carefully. You should use a reference from someone who has a hard time remembering the name of people and that they do not have a hard time recalling their own life story. If a reference does not have a work history, then it should be removed.After you have received the recommendation from the employer, make sure to ask them to include a reference. However, remember that not all of the references will be positive. Take the time to find references and make sure that they are to be positive and to help you achieve your goals. Be sure to give t he references a deadline to contact you.References can also be listed on your online resume. These online services are the most commonly used way of listing references. On the other hand, you can still use a traditional reference for your resume. Again, you should choose a person who has a hard time remembering your name. Since the internet will have hundreds of search results, it will be easier to find people who know you well, but it will be more difficult to find a person who is new to your career.References are important for many reasons. This is why it is so important to have the answers to the question, how many references on a resume. When you know how many references there are on your resume, it will make your resume stand out.