September, 2018

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Monthly Archives: September 2018

Diffusing Tension in the Workplace

By Job Journey on Thursday, September 27, 2018

Resolve conflict and bring peace to the work world

The workplace is complicated. It doesn’t matter if you work on an assembly line, type away at a cubicle, make cold calls in a call center, or take customer orders at a dinner table; you always deal with other people.

We’re all human and we have bad days. And sometimes you might do something inadvertently to make someone’s day worse. It could be a miscommunication via email, perhaps you chew loudly, or maybe there’s a scheduling conflict you just can’t agree on. These little things add up and suddenly there’s tension between the two of you.

Getting rid of that tension is one of the most important workplace soft skills. An employee who can effectively resolve conflict is priceless. So, how is this accomplished?

There are five main styles for managing conflict, according to Thomas, Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann originators of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. The key is to figure out the right mix of styles for any given situation, and recognize your coworker’s preferred conflict management style.

Here are those given conflict management styles, as outlined by SourcesOfInsight.com.

Accommodating

Think of this as killing your enemy with kindness.

Basically, if accommodating is your style of choice, your tendency is to give into the other person’s desires without making sure you get what you want. Maybe you think your boss’ idea is less than great, but don’t tell them because that would make waves.

Although it might sound cowardly on paper, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the accommodating style. All styles are valid. For example, it’s usually better to defer to those with more experience when you’re new to the job.

Avoiding

With this style, you avoid conflict at all costs. You never win arguments and prefer to stay out of the combat zone entirely. You don’t want to say no so you end up saying nothing. Think of this as the “let well enough alone” mentality.

Avoidance is a great for when emotions are running high and you need time to think, when you know you can’t win, or just don’t feel like the situation is worth the effort. Why engage when there will be minimal gains?

Collaborating

Think of this as the “win-win” scenario. You want to work with your coworker in order to achieve common ground and for everyone to get what they want.

This is a great conflict resolution style when everyone is already on the same page. You trust each other, value teamwork, say what you mean, and don’t have to worry about hurt feelings. It’s not a great choice when emotions are running high or people’s viewpoints are diametrically opposed.

Competing

This is the “might makes right” mentality. You want to get what you want no matter what, and the opposing side’s wishes aren’t important.

Again, this sounds like the angry boss who intimidates his direct reports into getting something done. In that case, it’s not the best decision. But if you’re an accountant on a deadline and someone on another team is trying to tell you how to do your job, competing is a perfect response. You know your job better than someone in a different department, and don’t have time to worry about hurt feelings.

Compromising

Think of this as standard negotiating procedure. The “give and take” approach. You and your coworker both work toward a solution by giving things up until common ground is reached.

The main problem with this one is that it takes time and isn’t affective when someone is unwilling to give anything up. That means it’s best used when you need a temporary solution or when both sides have important goals. However, beware: compromising can frequently be the result when collaborating is the better choice because it’s easier to get done. But if everyone can get what they want with a bit of hard work, why not go that route?

If you’re partial to any of these conflict resolution tactics, ask yourself if you’re trying the same solution in every situation and not getting the results you need. If you are, you might want to explore other methods to get rid of the problem.

Have you ever had to solve a workplace dispute? How did it go? Let us know in the comments below.

At Work Benefits

4 Flexible Work Arrangements Your Boss Should Consider

By Job Journey on Tuesday, September 25, 2018

In the age of rapidly advancing technology and constantly evolving work-life balance priorities, workers expect more flexibility than ever before. And, given the current talent crunch many businesses are facing, companies that do not embrace at least some flexibility may end up a casualty of the talent war.

In a recent poll on RefreshLeadership.com, the Express Employment Professionals blog for business leaders, readers were asked, “What does flexible work mean for you?” The top answer provided was “freedom to adjust schedules to accommodate personal/family needs.”

Additionally, according to research by Zenefits, an HR software developer, 73% of employees surveyed said “flexible work arrangements increased their satisfaction at work.” And 78% said “flexible work arrangements made them more productive.” The research also revealed that 77% of employees “consider flexible work arrangements a major consideration when evaluating future job opportunities.”

So, for many companies trying to attract and retain top talent, creating a more flexible work environment may be the key. Here are four of the more popular flexible work arrangements, along with a few pros and cons of each.

Telecommuting
One of the most common flexible work arrangements, telecommuting allows employees to work from home or other locations outside of the office via email, telephone, and/or internet.

Pros: Better work-life balance, employees are more focused and efficient without the distractions of a busy office. Avoiding long commutes. Employers may not need to maintain as much office space.
Cons: Less interaction between coworkers, including fun or teambuilding opportunities. Employers have less oversight over how employees are managing their time and staying on task.

Flextime
In most cases, businesses require employees to be in the office during a “core” period (i.e 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) However, during the hours outside that period employees choose their own schedule.

Pros: Freedom to schedule work around life and family events. Employees have more freedom to work when they feel the most productive. Employers can better address peak or odd business hours.
Cons: Similar to telecommuting, face-to-face time with coworkers is reduced. Complicated logistics of keeping track of everyone’s differing schedules. Opportunities for employees to abuse the privilege.

Compressed Week
In this arrangement, employees “compress” a full 40-hour work week into fewer than the standard five days. A common example would be working four 10 hour days Monday – Thursday with Fridays off.

Pros: Extended hours during busiest workdays. Employees have more time away from work to pursue personal interests.
Cons: Longer work days can be more grueling. Employees may find it difficult to arrange childcare during atypical hours. Vendors and other outside contacts likely still work a traditional work week.

Job Sharing
Job sharing involves two employees who work on a part-time or reduced hours basis to perform a job that is typically performed by one employee working full time.

Pros: The two employees’ skills may complement each other, creating more well-rounded performance. Time off can be staggered so the position is always covered. Employees have better work-life balance.
Cons: Inversely, the two employees may not be compatible and work slips through the cracks. Pay and benefit structures in such an arrangement can be more challenging for employers.

In the end, the type of flexible work arrangement a company implements—if any at all—comes down to their individual business needs. What works for one workplace may not be suitable for another. However, no matter which arrangement you choose, communication with employees is vital in order to ensure everyone benefits.

The Job Search

Helping Your Significant Other Find a Job

By Job Journey on Thursday, September 20, 2018

Help your partner get back to work without taking over

The job search can be incredibly difficult. That’s why people give up; they’re tired of getting their hopes up only to ultimately be rejected.

This is especially difficult when the person in question is your significant other. You want to help them land a great job, but where do you start?

Listen

If your partner has been job searching for quite some time, it can be tempting to take over the job search process. You might even want to start calling companies or submitting resumes.

Even though you have the best of intentions, telling your partner how to job search isn’t the best idea. The legwork and idea generation need to come from the person trying to get a job. If your significant other just does what you tell them, it’s easy to blame you for a failed job opportunity. And you wouldn’t want them to get a job offer for a position you applied for that they end up hating.

So instead of telling, listen. This covers everything from letting them vent their frustrations to celebrating successes, however minor.

Realize that Job Searching IS a Fulltime Job

Although it might seem your loved one has more free time on their hands and can therefore handle more household chores, this isn’t the case. Job searching should be a 30-hour a week job.

Being unemployed is not necessarily something they chose—they’re most likely not staying at home because they enjoy the free time. Usually, they’re even more stressed than you are about the situation. So never ask if they’ll get a job “soon.” Your guess is as good as theirs.

Offer to Proof Their Cover Letters and Resume

Constructive feedback is always helpful, so why not offer it to your partner? Keeping an eye out for grammatical mistakes or offering your opinion on a cover letter is not only helpful, but also shows that you value the time your partner has spent job searching.

Celebrate Milestones

You can’t be the one submitting resumes or interviewing, so how can you help? By celebrating the little things. Tom Washington of CareerEmpowering.com has a few alternate definitions of success for job hunters:

“Success is writing a tailored cover letter which may help get an interview when the standard cover letter would not have. Success is talking to someone who provides a lead. Success is a positive meeting with a person who may have a job in the near future. Success is obtaining useful insights from a friend or a person at the library.”

In short, you can help your loved one set achievable and empowering goals. These can be things as small as revamping a resume or getting coffee with a new contact. Job offers might be few and far between, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own version of success.

Network

Your significant other has a lot on their plate. With job searching consuming so much of their time, it can be hard to get out into the world and network. While you should absolutely encourage them to join professional groups or volunteer associations, you can’t really attend such functions yourself.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage your own network to further their job search. Contact friends and family and see what they have to say. And even though it may seem like your network is completely different from that of your partner, you never know where that next job might come from.

See Also:

Do’s and Don’ts of Helping Your Adult Child or Grandchild Get a Job

Have you ever helped your significant other look for a job? Tell us how it went in the comments below!

Reader Surveys

Poll Results: Is Your Career Turning into Your Parents?

By Job Journey on Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Did your parents influence your career?

We’ve all heard the saying: “one day you’ll turn around and realize you’ve turned into your parents.” Maybe you finally started to go bald like dad, or you sent your teenager to their room for a fender bender and realized how your mom felt when you wrecked your first car. Or maybe it’s the way you teach your kids values or the types of books you read to them before they fall asleep.

But what about our jobs? Does the way our parents raise us end up affecting the careers we choose as adults? We wanted to find out, so we polled our readers last month about how much influence their parents might have had on their career.

The Results

The top two options, by far, were “My parent/guardian had no influence on my career path” and “My parent/guardian encouraged me to go achieve a four-year college degree or higher.” The first came out on top with 36% of the vote, while the second followed closely with 33%.

Everything else trailed behind, with results as follows:

“I work in the same industry/profession as at least one of my parents/guardians”: 10%
Other: 6%
“My parent/guardian used their connections to help me find a job”: 5%
“My parent/guardian’s career paths made me stay away from their industry/profession”: 5%
“My parent/guardian encouraged me to go to a career tech school/learn a skilled trade”: 5%
“I took over a family business from my parent(s)/guardian(s)”: 1%

What does this mean?

In the end, your parents do have a huge effect on your career trajectory. 33% of parents advocate a college degree, which is great! But high school graduates should know that college isn’t the only option. There are plenty of great jobs that don’t require college degrees but still pay pretty nice salaries.

Did your parents affect your career path? Let us know in the comments section below!

Job Interviews The Job Search

How to Follow Up After an Interview

By Job Journey on Thursday, September 13, 2018

You’ve got your foot in the door, but how do you make sure they let you in?

We’ve all been there. The interview is over, and you feel great. You breezed past every question, provided solid references, and you know you’re the right person for the job.

But three weeks go by and you don’t hear anything. Weeks turn into months. Did you do something wrong? Is there anything you didn’t cover in your interview?

You want to touch base with your interviewer to see if you’re still in the running, but how do you do that?

Believe it or not, it all starts mere minutes after your interview ends.

Step 1: Write a Thank You Note

As soon as you get home from an interview, start drafting a handwritten thank you note. This should be brief, but powerful. Mention something new you learned about the organization, like what a typical day is like or what you learned about their workforce. That shows you’re not only interested in the company as a place to work, but in the people and culture as well.

Companies interview many, many applicants. Sending a great thank you letter is a wonderful way to stand out and help them remember you. Making yourself memorable means they’ll be more likely to get in contact with you in the future about the interview process.

Step 2: Send an Email Inquiry

The best way to get in touch about next steps is to send an email. Wondering how to make that email stand out? As noted by CareerSidekick, reply to an existing conversation. You’ve already talked to your interviewer by email (or someone in HR), so replying to that same email chain makes it easier to remember who you are.

Change the subject line to something specific regarding your interview. This can be something like RE: Last Monday’s Interview or RE: John Smith’s Interview Status. Something that catches the eye and gets straight to the point.

Step 3: Write the Email

A great follow up email should be short and sweet, but packed with specifics. Start off by using their first name, and then mention the exact position you’re applying for. Sprinkle in a few details about why you’re the best person for this position. Then tell them you enjoyed the interview and are excited to learn more about the company.

Finish up by asking about next steps and when you might hear something about the position.

Not quite sure what to say? Here’s a basic template! Feel free to adjust it to your needs, but try to keep it short and simple.

“Hi Edward,

It was wonderful interviewing with you last week regarding the Administrative Assistant position. I enjoyed learning about your company culture and hope to get started with Company Name soon! With over ___ years of experience, I’m excited to start working with Company Name.

If it’s not too much trouble, could you provide me with information regarding next steps and when I might hear back about the position?

Thank You,

Bobby Schmidt”

Call

You should only call as a last resort. If you’ve emailed and still not heard anything after a month or more, then it’s alright to pick up the phone. Politely ask about the status of the position. If they tell you it has been filled, thank them for their time and tell them you’ll be sure to apply for another position in the future. Just because this job wasn’t right for you doesn’t mean the next one won’t be perfect!

Do you have any more questions about following up after an interview? Let us know in the comments section below!

Job Spotlight

Job Spotlight: Insurance Agent

By Job Journey on Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Get paid to keep people safe

Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer that age-old question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Our Job Spotlight monthly blog series is designed to help you answer that question. In this series, we review all the basics of specific jobs, from salary and duties to why people do the jobs they do.

Insurance Agent

For this month’s Job Spotlight, we’ll be rebuilding your job search with information about being an Insurance Agent. Everyone needs insurance, so job stability is quite high. Responsibilities mainly include anything associated with the sale of insurance: inbound and outbound calls, interaction with clients and prospective clients, database maintenance, and knowledge of insurance policies.

Required Education

Usually a high school diploma or equivalent, although there can be exceptions.

Salary

Although it varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, insured products, geographic area, commission, etc.), Insurance Agents can make as much as $50,000 annually.

What Insurance Agents Do

Insurance agents handle a variety of responsibilities, which may include:

Administering compensation and benefit plans
Working independently with custom company software
Explain policies and their features
Personalize insurance plans for individual client needs
Making inbound and outbound calls
Call prospective clients to add to customer base

What Companies Look for in an Insurance Agent

Every Insurance Agent is different, but many need the following skills and attributes:

Basic understanding of Microsoft Office Suite
Experience working in or around Property and Casualty insurance industry
Customer service driven, with strong interpersonal and relationship skills
Ability to type 30+ words per minute

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, Express Employment Professionals is a leading staffing provider in the U.S and Canada. If you have any questions about Insurance Agent jobs in your area or job search in general, feel free to contact your local Express office or fill out our online contact form.

For More in Our Job Spotlight Series:

Warehouse Worker

Administrative Assistant

Medical Secretary

Welder

Sales Representative

Human Resources Generalist

Are you an Insurance Agent? What else should people know about your position? Let us know in the comments below!

Technology The Job Search

Get Your Dream Job with These Online Resources

By Job Journey on Thursday, September 6, 2018

We’re living in a technological age. These days if you can think it, there’s probably a website for it.

So why not embrace that technology and employ these tools in your job search journey? A recent Forbes article listed several of these online job-search power boosters. Here are our favorites, as well as a suggestion of our own.

Resume Help

Ever felt like your resume lacked a certain something? Resumake and Resume.io exist to make that a non-issue. The sites are full of templates that come pre-arranged, so you don’t have to worry about typefaces or whether to bold or underline something.

Both sites offer free and paid options. All you have to do is select a template and then input your information. The app will do the rest, and you’ll end up with a resume you’re proud of.

And if you’re looking for great words to use in your resume, check out one of the blogs in our resume writing series:

Keep Track of Where You Applied

When you’re job search efforts are on fire, the number of positions you’ve applied to can really pile up. Multiple applications can make it difficult to remember what you’ve applied for and who you’ve applied with. And nothing’s more awkward than a phone interview where you don’t even remember what you applied for.

Get rid of those issues with Rake, what Forbes describes as a “personal job tracker.” It’s available both as an app for your phone and as a chrome extension (for use with the Google Chrome web browser). All you have to do is click and the job description gets saved to the app. And you don’t have to pay a dime.

And applying with Express solves this problem as well. One application with us gets sent out to multiple local businesses. And it’s free.

Interview Prep

We all dread getting an interview question we don’t know the answer to.

It could be anything from “what are your top five strengths and weaknesses?” to “what about our company interests you?”

Sure, you could make flashcards and study them before the interview. But what if you lose one, don’t prepare for it, and that’s the question you end up being asked in an interview?

Cram is a site that allows you to do just what it states: cram information as fast as possible.

You can create online flashcards or use others already prepared by savvy jobseekers.

And it’s free!

Job Genius

Job Genius is Express Employment Professionals’ educational job program and web series. We cover everything from the job market forecast and job opportunities, to the resumes, the interview process, and more. It’s stuff we learned from jobseekers just like you. And since we put nearly 550,000 people to work each year, we know what works and what doesn’t. And it’s free, too!

Do you have any favorite online job resources? Let us know in the comments section below!