Recruitment and jobs blog

Ever feel like a mountaineer whose to-do list is a trembling mountain about to avalanche on top of you? Ever look achingly at your old to-do list like a long-lost love, as your boss dumps an entirely new list of goals on you? You're not alone. Various surveys reveal people feel busier than ever before. Yet, studies show that the busyness epidemic is less to do with taking on more things and more to do with the current psychology of busyness caused by things like the digital era and the sense of always being on. These factors can be detrimental to your productivity.  Thankfully your busyness mindset is within your control. You can be more productive by using these simple, science-backed brain hacks, so you and your to do-list can skip off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Stop being your worst enemy Nearly a quarter of adults around the world are chronic procrastinators, according to Joseph Ferrari professor of psychology at DePaul University. Time management is not the solution, Ferrari explains, self management is. According to Ferrari there are three distinct causes of procrastination: fear of failing to impress, fear of not meeting self-set expectations and not wanting the fun of a project to end. So to bring that dillydallying to a halt, a chronic procrastinator must forget about working faster and focus on addressing these three issues first. Try the pomodoro technique The effectiveness of this seemingly simple technique will astound you. The idea is to choose a task to which you dedicate 25 minutes, focusing solely on that and nothing else. After every 25 minute segment, or pomodoro (Italian for tomato - the person who came up with the idea originally used a tomato shaped kitchen timer), put a tick next to the item and take a short break. After four pomodoros you get a longer break. You will be amazed how productive you can be in a distraction free 25 minutes. You’ll also become frighteningly aware of the factors that are stopping you from progressing. Including, possibly, your ever reducing attention span caused by a digital lifestyle. Eat an elephant As the saying goes: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. (Just make sure you use loads of tomato sauce because elephant undoubtedly tastes disgusting.) The point of this (kinda gross) saying is that when you look at something as a whole it becomes stressful. The best way to take on a project is to break it down into smaller, more digestible tasks to avoid overwhelm. Many studies show that overwhelm has an adverse impact on productivity and can even create the illusion of being busier than you actually are. So grab a knife and fork and just get started on that tail. Delegate some work Delegation is bound to be the next buzzword of the zeitgeist. Gone are the days where we had to spend hours on tedious jobs or fight dinosaurs on our way to the office. There are so many task-outsourcing companies online these days it’s a simple project (to add to your mammoth to-do list). Not convinced? Grab a calculator, add up the amount of hours you spend in a week on menial tasks and times that by your hourly wage. Technically, there’s every chance, you’re actually paying money to do the jobs you hate most. Pop a Berocca Studies have shown that a B-complex vitamin can increase productivity and decrease occupational stress. It is particularly effective if you happen to be alleviating your stress with the occasional post-work tipple. It’s a no brainer, but many people are so swept up in the busyness vortex they often forget about the simple techniques that can have a profound impact on their general well being, which, in hand increases your overall productivity.  

"More often than not, I find that, regardless of credentials, it's a candidates unique attributes that really influence the outcome of a job interview," says Matthew McArthur, Indigenous Specialist Consultant, Ignite. But what exactly is the elusive je ne sais quoi that makes one person stand out above the rest, beyond the obvious wear shoes, shower and don’t mention that giant pimple on their nose social norms? Fear less, work-seeking warriors. We’ve dug through the archives of scientific journals to uncover some empirically proven tips to help you win your interviewer over. First, you should ensure you gain the requisite skills and experience. And then, follow these steps to become the Don Juan of candidates. 1. Reveal your flaws As counterintuitive as this seems, studies have shown that revealing your flaws is a surefire way to win a person’s affection. According to the Pratfall Effect if people see you as competent and you then reveal your imperfections to them, you become more relatable and, hence, more likeable. As they say, humility is a virtue. But make sure you establish your prowess before you go bragging about your defects. 2. Mirror body language This doesn't mean to shadow your interviewer’s every move for comedic effect like your older sibling used to do to annoy you (yes, hilarity would ensue, but so too would a rejection email). The Chameleon Effect refers to the way people tend to mimic the gestures of others they are fond of. Various studies have shown that the more a person likes another, the more they will unconsciously mimic their behaviour. It stands to reason then, that if you mimic another person’s body language they’ll subconsciously assume they have established an affinity with you. Gestures might include anything as simple as crossing your arms, placing a hand on your hip or slouching. 3. You’re contagious, so make those spreadable vibes positive   Studies have shown that emotional contagion is a very real phenomenon. Furthermore, the emotions you catch off others tend to be influenced by nonverbal clues, as opposed to spoken words. So, for instance, you might avow your happiness, but if this declaration is accompanied by a light sob the person you’re conversing with is going to catch the sads, pronto. Try to remain positive, upbeat and happy and your interviewer will walk away feeling the same way. 4. Share the love Scientists have demonstrated the existence of what they call the Reciprocity of Liking, according to which we tend to like someone more when we think they like us. Unfortunately you can’t just go around pretending to like whomever you choose and getting them to fall at your feet. Authenticity is a vital ingredient in the game of winning people over. You have to find a way to actually like a person in order for a sort of likeability quid pro quo to be brokered. Try to focus on your interviewer’s most positive attributes. Perhaps try to envision them spending quality time with a loved one. If you meet an interviewer who is particularly hard to like, picture them experiencing a tragic moment and bear in mind philosopher Eric Hoffer’s quote: “Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.” Imagine how your interviewer wants to be seen, try to see them that way, and, who knows, maybe they’ll actually become that person. 5. Compliment other people According to the Spontaneous Trait Transference phenomenon, when a person uses certain adjectives to describe another person, whoever they’re speaking to will start to associate those same traits to the speaker. So if you were to speak about Mary in accounts, for example, and you were to say that Mary was competent and punctual, then your interviewer would unconsciously start to attribute those qualities to you. (By the way, I happen to know Mary and not only is she competent, she’s the best blog writer this side of the equator.) 6. Play Hard to Get   The Gain-Loss Theory of Attraction demonstrates that people are more likely to grow a fondness for another if they feel they have somehow won them over. In a psychological experiment, subjects were allowed to hear a recording of what other subjects thought of them. Those who heard the other people say negative things about them followed by positive things, were much more likely to be fond of those people. Ergo, it’s best not to go into an interview guns blazing: all smiles and superlatives. You should allow the congeniality to grow organically as your interviewer gets to know you and vice versa. Start by playing it cool and then end the interview with a saccharine compliment and your interviewer will be putty in your hands.

Being let go is never fun. Whether you didn’t see eye to eye with your boss or the cord was cut after a performance improvement plan ran its course, being told you’re no longer needed can slash your confidence, especially when thinking about how you’re going to explain the separation during job interviews. While it can be jarring, termination can be just what you needed to discover career success. Chances are if you were under-performing you most likely lacked the motivation and ability to improve according to your manager’s style or standards. And if you didn’t get on with your boss you may not have been a fit for the culture. At best you knew something wasn’t quite right and at worse you hated every minute of your job. All too often people fear change more than misery or complacency and hang on to a job way longer than they know is good for them. Being let go is a gift that frees you from an unsuitable situation so you can move on to the right role or company. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 1 in 5 Australians separate from their employment each year. With greater than 12 million working Australians, you can bet thousands were dismissed for reasons similar to yours. Rest assured, you’re all in good company. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper, being told he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” JK Rowling was fired from a role because she would write fiction on her computer all day. And Oprah Winfrey was fired as a news anchor because she couldn’t separate her emotions from her stories. Each of these legends turned their dismissals into opportunities to ignite their career potential and you can do the same. Rakhi Pandit is an account manager with Ignite Canberra who has worked with thousands of candidates over her 13 years in recruitment. She believes there’s no shame in being terminated for performance or culture-fit reasons and says the experience can benefit you. “Why do we think it’s OK when a candidate voluntarily leaves a job but have a different impression if the employer severs the relationship? Either way it wasn’t a fit,” she says. “Being terminated should never let you down. You are smarter for having the experience as you now know what doesn’t work and you’re a lot closer to finding a role that does.” Pandit advises that before you start interviewing you should be clear about what you didn’t like about your role or the organisation so you can articulate what you do like. She says you should be clear about the skills and strengths you’d like to utilise, the passions you want to express and the culture and management style that’s right for you. For example, you may have had a very strong and successful career as a marketing communications manager until you landed a role where a large part of your job was to create sophisticated Excel reports – something you neither had experience in or desire to do. You may have identified that you’d like to work in a larger organisation that has resources available to do the reporting so you can spend your time on what you do best – strategy and people management. Pandit says she has seen dozens of people go on to very successful careers after they’ve been let go once they know what they’re good at and in what type of organisation they thrive. “I hired an MIS Executive after she had recently been fired from another company because she couldn’t communicate well with customers. She was brilliant in our role – she rapidly moved up and was with the organisation for many years. The reality was that she was never meant to be taking calls from customers – she was an introvert and wanted to spend her time planning and managing IT projects,” she says. “If you’ve been terminated for performance issues don’t let it get you down – most people in the same situation land a much better role and end up grateful for being given the push they needed.” Ready to ignite career potential after being fired? Ignite has hundreds of job openings throughout Australia. Explore here.

How a simple shift in perspective can transform your interactions and future opportunities Relationship building skills are essential to succeed in most life endeavours, the least of which is getting a new job. From garnering job referrals to gaining rapport with hiring managers during an interview to generating glowing personal references, your ability to connect with others can affect all aspects of your job search and career. If you’re waiting to strengthen these skills until you need a new job, you’re waiting too long. The best relationship-builders have chosen to build their relationship skills throughout life and can rely on them in times of need. If you are willing to become conscious of how you’re relating to others – regardless of how shy, self-conscious or introverted you are – you too can master these skills. Ignite CEO Julian Sallabank believes that everyone can build connections every day with every person they encounter. He lives by the motto, “Treat every person as if they are going to be the most important person in your life” and encourages his staff to do the same. “You never know who you’re going to meet or who they might become. People grow, change and commence their career journeys from some pretty interesting places,” he says. “Can you imagine how different the world would be if people could look beyond an individual’s current station in life and see them for their greatest potential?” Choosing to treat everyone as if they will be the most important person in your life does just that. It elevates those around you and allows you to have deeper, richer interactions. And the connection can benefit both parties for many years to follow. “I’ve been staggered by the opportunities that have been presented by embracing this philosophy,” Sallabank says. Acknowledging and respecting individuals immediately changes the dynamic and allows everyone to more easily connect - particularly if you bring enthusiasm, openness and a genuine interest to the conversation. In other words, you display your best self which allows others to do the same. But if you find this new philosophy and approach doesn’t help you instantly connect with everyone you meet, don’t fret. With intention and practice you’ll soon reap the benefits. Enthusiasm “Enthusiasm is one of your greatest assets. It is better than money, power or influence–with enthusiasm you become the master of these.” Earl Prevette Being enthusiastic is not only fun but it’s infectious. Meeting someone who will be the most important person of your life should generate natural enthusiasm. If the sheer pleasure of getting to know someone isn’t enough, studies show that creating connections and being more social improves self-esteem, heightens immune function and may even help us live longer. You don’t need to be outgoing or charismatic to bring enthusiastic energy to your interactions, you just need to remind yourself of all the ways connecting with people can bring more joy and benefit to your life. Openness “Who you are is speaking so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying,” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Emotion drives our physical demeanour. When you are enthusiastic it’s easier to look happy, make eye contact and display an open body stance – body language that indicates you are interested in another person and care about how they feel. Become conscious of your facial expressions and posture and choose to practice open body language. Even if you skew toward introversion, choose to notice the colour of the eyes of the person you’re speaking with to remind yourself to make eye contact and start interactions with a smile. Interest “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” -Dale Carnegie Everyone has a life outside of the context you’re meeting them in – they have families, jobs, interests, hobbies. When you are speaking to someone who could be the most important person in your life, you’re interested in knowing them on a different level. Whether you’re in a job interview or in line at your office café, get beyond commenting about the weather and learn about them. Your time and interaction will be more interesting and you never know what commonalities or opportunities you may uncover. Ignite can help you connect with your next career opportunity. If you’re ready to find a new temp, contract or permanent position, search available roles throughout Australia: https://www.igniteco.com/job-search/

If you’re considering a job change you’ve no doubt thought through a laundry list of desires you believe will make you happy. And when offered multiple roles you may have made a pros and cons lists to decide. But have you ever landed what seemed like a great role on paper just to be disappointed and back at the job hunt shortly after? Finding a role that will provide you with the most joy and long-term satisfaction may require a little less focus on checking off want-list items and a little more focus on checking in with your gut. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, people need to learn to listen to and access their intuition to make better career decisions. When faced with a choice to leave Compaq to join Apple, he famously recounts the story of ignoring his list of pros and cons and the advice of many he trusted in favour of his inner voice. Cook isn’t the only one. Some of the world’s most successful business leaders have touted the benefits of using intuition. Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Oprah and Former Westpac CEO Gail Kelly have encouraged people to follow their feelings over intellect to get the best results. So what exactly is intuition and how do we access it? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, intuition is “an ability to understand or know something without needing to think about it or use reason to discover it.” Some people are naturally attuned to their intuition – they easily experience what feels right and use their gut to guide their decisions. But if you’re not one of them, don’t fret. Just as you can prepare for an interview you can sharpen your ability to access your intuition. Sharyn Reesby is a Sydney-based business coach who works with people in career transition. She advises clients to use their imagination and ask questions that open new possibilities to get them in touch with their intuition and true joy. “Imagination is a doorway to intuition. Ask yourself the right questions about the type of role you’d like. What time do I want to start working? What sort of people do I want to work with? What businesses feel good?” she says. “Try on companies and industries like you’re trying on a suit. You’ve absorbed a lot of information that you’ve stored on an unconscious level and will get a sense of if they’re the right fit.” Leonie Knight is Ignite’s General Manager of Queensland and has helped place thousands of people in great roles. She recommends candidates listen to their body and emotions to tune into intuition during the interview process. “The drive and desire to excel and achieve can sometimes override intuition so you need to pay attention,” she says. “Your body and emotions don’t lie. If your mind is telling you a role is the right fit but you feel drained during the interviews and aren’t sure if you’re excited about starting with the company, your intuition is telling you it’s not.” As part of the process, Reesby also recommends getting clear on what you want to express and how you want to express it in your role. “People aren’t looking at their jobs as an art form but your work is your art. You’ll have joy when you can express your art form in your way,” she says. “Write down 5 things you want to express in your role.” You know from past roles or educational environments what has worked for you and what hasn’t. For example, if you’ve worked in a rigid culture that focused on rules from the handbook over fluid processes, you may have identified that you’re looking for an unstructured environment that allows you to be creative. Knight advises candidates to focus on fit during the very first interview. “Being in a culture that allows you full self-expression will benefit your employer as much as it will benefit you. After all, everyone’s looking for long-term success, so be honest about your style and what you need to thrive right off the bat,” she says. “And if possible, talk with others in the company to find out if the organisation’s approach feels right and will allow you to be yourself.” When you’re offered a role you think is a match, Reesby says there’s one simple question you can ask yourself to determine if you’re in your head or heart: “Is this decision based on faith or fear?” Fear will drive you to make decisions based on what you don’t want versus what you do want – it is anti-intuition. For example, if you’re going to accept a role that isn’t right because you’re afraid you can’t find one that will allow you full self-expression, you’re on the wrong track. If you’re looking for a more joyful job, we’d love to help! Check out available roles through Ignite across Australia.

By Sharon Costigan, Ignite Senior Solutions Consultant, Outsourced People Services Managing people has evolved greatly over the years, from the regimented, rules-based workplaces to free flowing, no-rules workplaces. So where should your business fit on that continuum? You may have read about Netflix, which has minimal rules and operates on the premise that all employees work in the best interest of the company. When people are a poor fit, average or do the wrong thing they are out the door with a generous severance package. But can you go down the Netflix line of little or no rules? Not if you want to protect your company from potential legal action! I doubt such an approach can work within the Australian Industrial Relations system where there is an expectation that all employees are given fair treatment and a process is recommended that all employers follow to avoid legal ramifications. Mainly because if an employee claims they have been treated unfairly the Fair Work Commission will assess if an employee was warned about their performance or behavioural conduct issues and if they have been given a fair and reasonable chance to improve. It could be argued that having a strict process for managing underperformance with systematic warnings and monitoring meetings that continue to focus on the employee’s failures will make them fail more because they become anxious and fearful of termination. Managing through fear and threat of job loss can raise employee anxiety so they make even more mistakes. People need positive reinforcement, support and balanced constructive feedback in order to learn, grow and develop in their roles. If your policy is very tightly written around the three formal warnings with set time frames and escalating seriousness it can only drag the process out longer than needed. This is inefficient, disruptive and costly to your business. The old rigid “3 strikes you’re out” typically includes a period of attempting to improve performance through initial verbal advice, more advice and support, then an action plan. When this didn’t work the 3 written warning step was implemented with a month or two between each step. This means the whole process could have taken up to (and over) 6 months. This is simply too long and demoralising for all involved. Making the process faster, while still providing reasonable time and lots of support and coaching, is kinder to your business, the team and the employee who may not be the right one for your business. So what is the difference between the old fashioned “3 strikes you’re out” approach and the recommended warning process? Simply put – the focus on improvement. If you build a work environment that is based on trust, collaboration, space to make mistakes (within risk parameters) and autonomy and create a workplace designed for employees to shine you probably won’t need rigid policies and procedures. In fact, you may not need too many policies and guidelines at all. Still, there will always be those who are a poor fit to your work culture, or – for whatever reason – are not performing and are behaving inappropriately. So you still need some sort of process to manage these occasional issues, but having an approach that is focused on support, improvement and coaching is likely to have greater success. This approach moves away from the rigid, rules driven workplace where talent can be stifled in favour of compliance, and the boss behaves like a parent, and the employees like children. Building a workplace that is dynamic and where people are treated like adults will result in greater engagement and commitment to the organisation, and therefore create buy-in into business success. When the wheels fall off; however, by immediately addressing concerns in a fair, compassionate way you have the greatest chance of guiding your employee back on track. While you may be able to do away with many policies that were previously verbose and complex, you still need some explanation, in plain English, so that people clearly understand what is expected of them in your workplace. Similarly, having a policy and process that supports people who are underperforming to better performance also assists you in aligning to the expectations of the Fair Work Commission. I recommend taking these steps if you note performance or behavioural issues is: One • Speak to the employee promptly. Talk to them honestly, but fairly, about the matters and the impacts this may be having on your workplace and business, including examples. Notice that you are not saying “improve or you are out the door” (punitive). Rather you are trying to find ways to keep them, while still flagging that lack of improvement could lead to termination. This can constitute the verbal warning. • Find out if there are any mitigating circumstances and discuss how you may be able to support them. It is useful to put an action plan in place. This helps both parties keep on track, but as it is an aid to the employee, they own it – and the responsibility – to achieve agreed outcomes within agreed timeframes. The timeframe must be reasonable and allow time to improve. • Meet frequently. It is giving that continual feedback on progress (or not) that helps the process forward. Take notes and document on the action plan so the content is transparent to all. Two • Even before the end of the timeframe, if it becomes apparent that there is no improvement, swing into a formal process with a meeting to discuss. The important part here is to recognise this is stressful for the employee and they deserve support from someone of their choice while the process is revisited. This meeting is still improvement focused, but with more stringent requirements, with agreed upon supports. • Document the meeting outcomes in a letter detailing the issue, what has been discussed, actions taken, and clearly document expectations (by date) or their employment status will be reviewed and could include termination. This letter details the supports and positive actions that will be taken, through the agreed actions, so again, the employee is still involved, participating, and contributing. This is the first written warning. Three • If there is still no improvement, then the final/termination meeting needs to take place seeking a response from the employee on why. Based on their response, and taking into consideration any reasons, you may decide to allow a further period of time, or end employment at that point. Again, as this is a formal meeting, with the employee’s support person in attendance. Yes, this is still a 3-step process. The key difference is that it is informal and improvement focused. Even the formal second step is still improvement focused. The third is termination unless there is a good reason not to end employment. A key feature throughout is respect, factual feedback and fairness. Hint: even if a person is shown not be the right person during the probationary period, they are still entitled to the opportunity to improve, but regular meetings should reveal to both parties the employment relationship isn’t going to work and the person can be fairly and respectfully exited from your organisation. HR policies and procedures can be complicated and rules change frequently. If you’d like advice or information about affordable programs that can help save time and reduce risk to your business, visit our Outsourced People Services page or email me at [email protected].