How to Get the Employees You Need

A human resource department’s main job is to acquire the talents that will push the company forward, and retain them as well. But it seems that this job is only getting harder by the day, and HR reps are quick to put the blame on a lot of other factors. They say there isn’t enough training and so employees aren’t as competitive, and the other companies are too aggressive in pirating talents.

But every employer, every leader or boss, and every HR representative should take it upon himself to pinpoint real problems, identify real solutions, and execute them as well. Here are some tips that will help you hire and retain valuable talents.

• Be willing to train. Drop the idea that nobody fits the bill because they lack the experience or the skills needed. Instead, welcome the possibility of taking in talents and giving them enough time for training and practice.
• Know what the right price is. You might be barking at the wrong tree by offering a small salary for the position you are trying to fill. If this is the case, you will attract under-qualified professionals, and you will feel inadequate. If you cannot find candidates at the right price, then that’s when the problem comes in.
• Partner with an educational institution. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on training talents, partner with educational institutions. This is a win-win-win situation. You get to have a pool of talents regularly and you are always sure of their competency. The institution you partner with will be able to attract more enrollees because they are guaranteed a good chance of working in your company. Last, students can be secure about their future!
• Create an apprenticeship program. When you hire people, give them a mentor, somebody who can they look up to and emulate, such as the one in themanager job or director job. The mere fact that they will be taught by an expert will convince them to take your offer, even if the salary you offer isn’t so high. The promise of a higher pay and a better position once they manifest excellent traits required for the job will be more than enough to make them stay in your company.

Words to Say to Employees

A huge percentage of employees who leave their companies do so because of their bosses. It’s easier to stay in a position with a difficult job than to stay in an office with a bad boss. Don’t want to be labeled as a bad boss? Here are the things you need to say. And make sure you say every word like you mean it.

Thank you!

Sure, you expect your team to do their everyday tasks like replying to emails, monitoring records and closing deals. But a Thank You can go a long way. Employees who have never heard a word of appreciation from their bosses end up stressed out, regardless of their workload. These two words can be the best boost you can give to any employee. For instance, Singapore banking jobs can be too hectic, and so if you’re working in the industry, your Thank You will mean a lot more.

How are you?

Taking the time and effort to listen to employees is a mark of an exceptional and trustworthy leader. It wouldn’t be difficult for a professional to leave the office if his boss is disengaged and unattached. But a nice boss who is able to go out of his way to ask about how an employee is can serve as the glue between the company and its valuable talents. And you want to be the executive who is valuable both to his staff and to his bosses as well.

Good job!

Saying this says that you’re not an arrogant prick who’s only after recognition for oneself. When you appreciate your staff’s job well done, they return the appreciation generously. Besides, employees hate it when the leader of the team takes all the credit. When in a meeting, be careful with your words. You do not want to use the words I, Me and My Team when presenting your team’s outputs. Use the words We or They.

Nice outfit!

Seeing the little details will help you build a relationship with your employees. Noticing things such as their mood, their new hairstyle or how they handled a problem will go a thousand miles in boosting employee morale and helping you build a good reputation. Make your team feel that you notice them and that you are aware of what is happening with them. For instance, even if you are in an “impersonal” industry such as financing, building a relationship with your team is still important. You don’t want to lose your prized employees and go on a finance jobs search just because you’re disconnected to them.

Sorry.

Wow. How many times does a boss say sorry to his team without explaining or justifying his acts? We’re guessing very rarely. If you can be the boss who isn’t just great at what he does but is also humble enough, then you’re a great boss. Besides, you will leave a better impression if you say sorry than when you try to cover up or blame other people. That’s just plain immature.

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The Characteristics of a Trustworthy Leader

First off, you may be asking, why do I need a trustworthy leader? Well you may have encountered bosses who would give promises to you and your team, and you never saw these promises come to pass. Or you might raise an issue and talk to him, and the next day, everybody knows already.

In today’s volatile job market, there is a great need for leaders who can be trusted by subordinates. Trustworthy bosses give stability and a strong foundation to a company, something every company needs. As Singapore executive jobs remain in high demand, there rises a need to develop certain traits that will make an executive indispensable in a company.

Whether you are a leader or you are still earning your way from the ranks ofaccounting jobs or IT jobs, you need to know these characteristics that separate a trustworthy boss from one who isn’t.

Communicator

Is your boss honest with you? It is surprising to know that honest leaders who can be brutally frank with their teams are the ones whom everybody finds easier to trust. Why? Simply because it sounds downright impossible for somebody to find no fault in anybody. If your boss can let you know your flaws, then you can trust him that he will not lie to you about anything, especially about your performance in the office.

Cheerleader

A trustworthy boss is somebody whom you see cheering you on to success. Although he has his own aspirations in his career, he sees no problem in pushing you towards the success that you want to achieve. He’s after your career advancement, and he doesn’t take credit for accomplishments of the team. Such humility will easily earn the respect of the whole company, and their hard-to-earn trust as well.

Open

Can your boss take feedback? Does he react harshly whenever someone in a higher position criticizes him? A trustworthy boss is always after growth, and so feedback is more than welcome to him. Although it sounds like this kind of boss is a rarity, there are still some who are humble and open to feedback. Give this boss your trust. He can easily feel if you hold back, and you may lose the opportunity to build a relationship that is based on trust.

Investor

Does your boss invest in his relationship with you and with the rest of the team? Does he take time to talk with wach and everyone of you, even just to make sure that communication lines are open and that all you need for success is well provided for? Such a boss is well worthy to be given your trust, even for the simple reason that he also gives you his.

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HR Opportunities to Grab Today

Just like the IT arm, the executive positions and even the maintenance staff of a company, the HR department plays a significant role to the success of a company. Its role is mainly to find talent, hire them, and do its best to retain the great talent that it has already gotten for the company. Whether the HR department’s responsibility to hire employees to fill finance jobs, banking jobs or even administrative positions, there are certain implications for every talent hired, retained or removed.

Although it sounds very basic, the HR department is always plagued with the problem of hiring the best people for the company and the team. Competition is tough among hiring companies as it is among candidates.

Here are opportunities HR departments must seize so they can effectively maximize the talent pool within their reach.

• Creating positions that look for specific skills. In a global perspective, there is a huge mismatch among skills and jobs. If the HR department can create jobs through which skilled workers can maximize their abilities and even grow towards promotion and leadership, you can be assured of a steady growth that manifests both in your company and in the talents that you have.
• Maximizing technological trends today. Employees of today are always connected. They are also very open to the idea of working from home. Why not be open to these ideas and try to set up a virtual office to open opportunities for driven individuals who would otherwise be impossible to hire due to location problems? Expand your company globally without investing millions of dollars in physical spaces and other logistical concerns.

• Being on its toes. The global workplace and talent market continues to shift, and in a very rapid way. Make sure that your company isn’t left out. Be alert and quick to react to whatever changes that may ensue. This way, not only can you retain talent, but you can also ride the waves of change and steer the company towards the right direction.
• Engaging employees. The HR department must continuously develop ways through which employees can stay engaged and energized. Although there are employees who are naturally engaged, it still is the company’s responsibility to provide the necessary tools and methods needed to keep teams motivated and individuals performing well.

An HR department that is committed to taking risks and doing everything to ensure that they have the best talents in the company can only seize these opportunities. Therefore, the company should also invest in equipping the HR in the following areas:

• Capability. Are HR managers able to solve business issues within their scope? The HR department should be able to handle conflicts that may affect the efficiency and productivity of a team or of the whole company.

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Why You Need to Engage Your Team Now

Employee engagement should take front row seats when it comes to your priorities as a company. Why? Not only so that you can retain good talents, but also because highly engaged employees behave differently, and in a more positive way. Employee engagement should be a priority for accounting jobs as well as for the top executive jobs of a company.

How? Here are the characteristics that set the engaged apart from those who just come and go to work every single day:

• They do not feel entitled. They are always on their toes, knowing that they are not as indispensable as they want themselves to be. A highly engaged employee does not demand much from the company without excellent performance to back it up. As a result, they always make it a point to deliver excellent outputs and never think that there is such a thing as a secure job.
• They work on their own engagement. They do not rely much on the company and on how it can serve them or motivate them. Engaged employees take it upon themselves to stay motivated. As an executive, you need to make sure that the company is able to serve as a support system for employees. For without some action from the company itself, even the most engaged employees will easily disengage.

• They can and will remain engaged anywhere. The corporate culture or the work environment is important to the disengaged employee. But to the highly engaged, this will have little to no effect on the way he performs. Take him to a nonprofit organization; take him to a bank, anywhere. He will remain engaged because he has the ability to create his own weather and motivate himself to do great.
• They are highly influential. Not only to their coworkers, but also to clients. It is therefore advantageous for a company to hire highly engaged employees especially in the area of sales and customer service. Their infectious loyalty to the company will bring in more clients, and will definitely have a significant impact on your company.
• Things that do not usually motivate the regular employee drive them. They are always after connecting with people, learning more, molding their skillset, achieving things for themselves, testing their limits and contributing to the better good of the company. No matter what they have achieved, they just continue to stretch themselves and improve on what they do.

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Great Habits to Form Today

Successful executives didn’t have it easy, and so won’t you. You have to stay current, employable and competitive, for you to be able to get to the top. Every move in the industry can affect your position, so you have to stay abreast amidst all the competition, especially among finance jobs, banking jobs, and other highly competitive industries. Here are some priceless habits you need to form so you can be assured of success all throughout your executive life.

• Learning from mistakes. It’s one thing to learn a lesson, and another to apply what you learn. Some executives become too afraid to take risks because of past mistakes or accidents. But it is through mistakes that you learn, and if you do not move forward, you will be stuck without growth or development.
• Self-evaluation. Be honest to yourself and admit the mistakes that are causing you to fall behind. The mistakes that you see should be identified, and you should have enough discipline to change whatever is necessary.

• Self-worth. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little arrogance. What are the achievements that you feel very proud of? In the past year, what are the skills that you have improved, and what are the accomplishments that you can highlight? This will help you feel a sense of self-worth. Make sure it’s the healthy dose though, lest you become too consumed about what you’ve achieved.
• Dreaming. Are you a dreamer, or are you somebody who’s as hopeless as the most hopeless part of a third world country? A dreamer is driven by his ambitions and dreams. Whether your dreams are for your family or for your own career, these will fuel you everyday to do your best.
• An updated resume. Is your resume as old as your current position? Time to update it before you forget the accomplishments that need to be included in it. Make sure it is uploaded in job search sites. When you update your resume, it may be bumped to the first part of the search results, giving your resume high visibility among companies.
• A good online profile. Do you have a LinkedIn account? Is it updated? Is it worthy of a look? Will it impress HR representatives? It is more than worth it to have a presence online. Also Google your name once in a while; you’ll never know what destructive information can be found in the interwebs.

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Necessary Soft Skills Every Executive Should Develop

While skill is highly important, there are some qualities that are much needed for any executive to be successful in his chosen field, whether it is among accounting jobs or other executive jobs. Here are some of the soft skills that can help you perform better as a professional. Hone them and see yourself advance in the career ladder.

• Communication skills. Being a great IT executive is not limited to knowing the language of the computers and systems you use. It also means being able to maximize the language used in communicating with other human beings. Do you know how to speak, write and read properly? By properly, it means that you know how to make yourself understood, and you know how to understand what other people are trying to tell you.
• Handling conflicts. In whatever company and job, you would have to deal with conflicting ideas. During a meeting, will you be humble enough to back down in case another person’s idea is better? Will you be able to lead the team to a consensus that will benefit everybody?

• Assessing a project as it progresses. A good executive knows how to read a project’s possible outputs, even as it moves from phase to phase. This is a skill that is developed through years of experience, and will serve as a very valuable asset for any executive. You can save a company lots of resources if you have a certain “sense” or feeling about a project.
• Cooperating with a team. As a professional, you would usually start working individually, proving your way to the top. But as the executive, you would be encountering more team efforts than individual ones. This requires the capacity to not just work with a team, but to organize a team and lead them to a decision or output that is best for the company.
• Empathy. Will you be able to cascade crucial information to your team, without overwhelming them with information too difficult to understand? This skill is especially helpful to IT executives, who would be required to explain technical details to groups of professionals who are in different levels of skill and understanding of the systems.
• Teaching. You need to be able to train your team. Great executives are looked up to n tony because of their achievements, but also because of their ability to teach and train younger professionals. If you get to prove yourself as an executive who knows how to take somebody under his wings, you will prove to be an invaluable asset to the whole company.

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Burnout Causes to Avoid

A lot of people deal with burnout at some point of their career. A job may be physically tiring (like teaching and sales), and it can also be emotionally draining (like finance jobs and banking jobs). And as human beings, we can only take so much.

What happens when you burn out? Your body and mind will give up on all the stress. You will feel too exhausted to work, yet you will feel guilty about not working. And when you do try to work, you aren’t able to achieve anything. You go through each day forcibly and with bitterness.

Although there are certain jobs that are simply burnout-inducing, any position or career path can take a toll on you. You might be highly motivated today and you might think that burning out is a far impossibility, yet tomorrow you might be showing all the symptoms of burnout.

Avoid it at all costs. If you can identify with the following situations, then you are at risk of feeling burnt out sooner or later.

• No clear goals. The hardworking professional will get burned out if he exerts maximum efforts on tasks that are not definitive of a direction his career can take. You need to have a clear set of goals. Create your personal goals list, and adhere to the team’s or company’s.
• Too much work. If you cannot say “no” to each and every task assigned and passed to you, you will soon be burdened with deadlines to beat and tasks to finish. Another cause of a huge workload is poor time management. If you are unable to submit your deliverables on time, your work will pile up and you will feel unnecessary stress.
• Impossible goals. This is perhaps the opposite of not setting goals for yourself. There may be a fine line between an ambitious goal and an impossible goal. If you force yourself to create a solution to a problem without enough resources to use, you will end up tired and frustrated at yourself.
• Hopelessness. You might be so passionate about something beyond your control. Too much attachment to your job, projects and tasks can cause you to be emotionally challenged when things go wrong.
• Lack of recognition. Sometimes even the simplest thank you email can boost your energy to work. However, if in your office there is a shortage of appreciation, and promotions seem to far away, you will soon feel all the weight of working for nothing. Once you have mastered the skills required in your current position, you will start to feel the need for recognition. And when it is not given, that’s when burnout will sink in.

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Steps to Making a Good Decision

Decision-making is a valuable skill that can make or break your career. The ability to take a course of action that will lead to the best result is an asset that you can use not only in your job, but also in life. You need to decide in most executive jobssuch as in an accounting job, just as much as you need to decide on whether you should go to Seychelles or to Maldives for your honeymoon. Are you a good decision-maker?

Here’s a step by step guide that will help you arrive at the best decision for whatever problem or dilemma you will be in:

1. Purpose: Why do you have to decide? What is the gravity of your decision? What is the problem and why does it need to be solved? Knowing the answers to these questions will give you a good foundation for the proceeding steps.
2. Information: What are the factors that caused the problem? What are the factors that continue to aggravate the situation? What are the options and how can they affect the situation? The answers to these questions should be well researched and not just based on hunches and wild guesses. Take your time to find the necessary information that will help you arrive at the best solution.

1. Criteria: What are the deciding factors that will help you choose an alternative? Create a list of criteria on which you can base your decision on. These items should all lead to how you think the problem will be solved in the best way. Is it economical? Is it fast? Is it effective? Is it excellent? These are only some of the questions you can use as standards.
2. Ideas: Brainstorm different solutions that you think can be effective in attacking the situation. It is best to have different options, so you can be sure to arrive at the best at the end of the day.
3. Evaluation: Based on the criteria that you created, evaluate every solution you thought of doing. Identify the pros and cons of each alternative you created.
4. Decision: After all the five steps, you should be able to confidently arrive at a decision. Although there is still some form or bias, you can be more assured that your decision is plausible and can be effective, based on your preparations.
5. Action: Any good decision will be nonsense if not put into action. Create an action plan with steps that will help you achieve your goal easily and more realistically.

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How to Build a Team That Lasts and Succeeds

It takes a great leader to build a team that lasts, and succeeds at it too. As an executive, your roles and responsibilities do not start and end with hiring people and then showing up at the office every day. Marketing jobs do not require initial training alone, and IT jobs in Singapore do not require outputs alone.

You need to be able to manage a group of people with diverse skills and personalities. Just how can you build a team that isn’t only able to work well together, but is also driven to achieve targets and goals? Here are some tips.

Know yourself.

You should have a complete sense of self-awareness in different aspects. What are your leadership styles and techniques? Do they work? Be brutally honest to yourself. It is best to ask colleagues who are working on the same level as you. Your subordinates might be too scared to tell you some hard truths.

Be clear on the responsibilities of each one.

This is a tricky thing to do. Although each person in your team may have a concrete set of tasks, you still might find out that the lines are blurred. Although most of them might be more tan willing to work on stuff outside of their scope of responsibility, this might cause conflicts in the future. Remember that you are after a team that works well together through the long haul. As early as possible, clearly define the job descriptions.

Know your team.

You should know your team as much as you should know yourself. When you get to know the individuals in your team, you will have an idea of how well or how poorly they work together. And when you get to know your team, it will be much easier for you to handle conflicts and to encourage them for more. As a leader, you should know exactly what needs to be done wit your team. Imagine them as your family whom you know like he back of your hand.

Reward good work.

There are a lot of employees who left their teams because they just never got a Thank You from their boss. It’s not about being emotional as much as it is about having the morale boost that everybody needs form time to time. As the leader, it is your responsibility to make your team feel that they are doing a great job. Do not lack in praises and kudos’s for jobs well done. If possible, go out on a limb and treat them to lunch.

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Career Transition Tips for Executives

The executive of today is much different from that of the yesteryears. He is stronger, bolder and braver. He knows what he wants, and he does everything to get to where he wants to go.

It is not surprising to know that a lot of executives in Singapore jobs, some even in their senior years, are making a transition to a new career. The traditional minds would think it is the craziest idea, but these executives are very much aware of the risks involved.

If you are in a stage in your career where you want to transition out, do you know the steps you need to take as well as how much you know about the risks? Here are some pointers that can help you have a successful transition as you conduct a brand new job search in Singapore.

• Be careful not to make the same mistake again. Although you’d often hear people advise you to “fail forward”, it’s another thing to commit the same mistake over and over again. If you see this trend in your professional life, it can be a sign that you are not maturing.
• Always evaluate. As you make a transition from one position to another, think of the things that you were able to do, and how well you did them. Your transition period can also be a great time to process your goals and make sure that you are still aligned to the direction that you wish to take.
• Don’t burn bridges. Make it a goal to leave your company or your department in good terms. Your previous workmates are your best networking wires; plus isn’t it always nice to start a new with zero conflict left behind?
• Be positive. If you’re asked about why you are transitioning from one job to another, be careful that you do not badmouth your previous company, your previous boss, your previous team, or even your previous position. If you exude positivity, you will also reap positivity.
• Know yourself and what you can bring to the table. Before you approach anybody or before you apply for a new job, make sure hat you are aware of yourself as a package. What skills can you bring to the table? What are your indispensable traits that will prove beneficial to the company? What specific help can you provide the company that nobody else can?

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