Finding Career Satisfaction

Finding Career Satisfaction We hear this constantly, HR Managers trying to work out how to keep their team members satisfied so they stay motivated, and employees trying to find motivation with what they are offered because they are no longer satisfied. Research on career satisfaction has throughout time been a very challenging debate. How do organisations keep individuals satisfied when their needs change so quickly? When what we have to offer as a business can’t change as quickly? When the demands of modern-day life can no longer be addressed through the traditional employee reward and recognition programs. The reality is, being satisfied in a role is not something that can be achieved if you stay stagnant in your career. What you need to be satisfied changes as your experience grows, your personal needs and priorities shift, and as the demands and expectations from the world of work shifts. Around the 1950’s Herzberg penned a theory that has still been researched as being valid through to today. What is known as the dual-factor theory identifies two aspects of satisfaction, which is unique as many people believe that satisfaction is only achieved on a single level. Specifically, the research showed and continues to show that to remain satisfied, we need to consider the aspect of what we need from a hygiene perspective as well as what we need as a motivational factor? What are the hygiene factors? The hygiene factors are things that can be offered and achieved in a workplace that meet the fundamental needs of an employee. These can include salary, working conditions and benefits, job security and status. What happens when we do not meet the hygiene factors? What continues to be recognised is that not getting these hygiene factors does not always mean we will be more satisfied or more motivated. But, if we don’t get them, we can become extremely dissatisfied in our careers. Confusing I know, but by now explaining the motivating factors. What are the motivating factors? The motivating factors provide positive engagement and satisfaction. These include things such as being challenged in our work, receiving recognition, being provided responsibility including contributing to what can make decisions and the future of the business and feeling like we have an opportunity to grow, develop and feel a sense of importance in our roles, organisation and career. What happens when we do not receive the motivating factors? Motivating factors increase the level of motivation of employees and as a result the overall performance of the work environment. This means that if an employee is achieving their motivating factors, they will be motivated and in turn can contribute to the development of a positive work culture. What do the combinations of the theories result in? According to Herzberg, there are four possible combinations: High Hygiene + High Motivation: This is the best situation. You will have motivated employees with few complaints and a positive work culture. High Hygiene + Low Motivation: You will not hear too many complaints however you will not see much motivation in the work environment. This is a job for the sake of a job, not an opportunity to contribute to a positive work environment. Low Hygiene + High Motivation: Wow, how motivated are your team members but why are they still complaining! You might have really exciting work but if they don’t feel rewarded and remunerated for what they are doing they will talk about it. Low Hygiene + Low Motivation: This is a really bad situation. You will not have a motivated work culture and you will hear a lot of complaints and issues from your team. The needs of all of us will be different across our career, but by understanding that there are 2 areas that we need to focus on to be satisfied and motivated in our careers, then we have a greater chance of being able to understand the issues we may be facing and what we need to overcome it.

Are YOU Wired to Be the Best

Are YOU Wired to Be the Best One day after a trying day at work, I contemplated my role in recruiting, my accomplishments and my coworkers, and I asked myself…why are we all wired so differently? What is the common thread that we share? After all, we come from an environment of superstars! I know it’s not drive or lack of it that separates us, because all of the recruiters that I know and have come to admire are extremely driven. It’s not an absence of passion or conviction, and certainly not a lack of experience, as I work with some of the most experienced recruiters in our industry. So what is it? I have come to the conclusion that it’s a simple yet extremely powerful word called “fear”. I am not speaking about the fear of a monster hiding beneath your bed, or the fear of facing your school principal for skipping your senior class and enjoying a day at Walt Disney World. I am talking about the fear that challenges us to be our best â€" the fear that separates us from the ordinary. Many times, fear is a single moment. Imagine a 19-year-old from a small town in Florida on a bus in Anniston, Alabama, heading down a hill and stopping in front of military barracks with nine drill sergeants eagerly anticipating her foot hitting the pavement upon exiting the bus. Basic training had begun. The screams of the drill sergeants could be heard long before arriving at what the new recruits would call home for the next nine weeks. As I adapted to my new life in the military, the fear of the unknown was almost unbearable â€" but as I look back, I would not change it. What started out as fear turned into determination and perseverance! Erica Jong once said: I have accepted fear as a part of life â€" specifically fear of change. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says ‘turn back.’ The key to success is to not allow fear to share the same cul-de-sac with anxiety and regret. When you fear something and you allow that fear to dominate your mind, you allow it to prevent you from achieving what you know is possible, which then ultimately turns into regret. Have you ever noticed that when you push through your fear, the result is satisfaction and comfort in your achievement, and a measure of confidence that will allow you to shine the next time you are faced with a similar challenge? Don’t fear fear â€" instead, allow it to motivate you to help you achieve greatness! Fear isn’t an excuse to come to a standstill. It’s the impetus to step up and strike. â€"Arthur Ash When I was promoted to manager at my current company, the last thing I expected was to be asked to stand and make a presentation before my peers. At that moment, fear quickly set in. Could I captivate the audience? Would I stumble over my words? Would I go silent? The first statement I made was that I did not like to speak in front of others and that it made me nervous. In doing this, I instantly gave my fear life by acknowledging and introducing it. When I began to speak, my voice shook, my knees knocked and I wanted to throw up. I began to sweat â€" it was so uncomfortable. What just happened? As surprising as it was to others, I was the most shocked. I felt so defeated. I knew that if I ever wanted people to pay attention to me and what I had to say, I needed to allow that moment to motivate me â€" allow it to help me achieve more. I began by asking to take on more responsibility that required me to speak in front of others. I started with smaller groups, then gradually worked up to larger ones. I noticed that as long as I was comfortable with the material I was speaking about and knew what I wanted to say, fear no longer had a place in the presentation. So how can I continue to use fear as a motivator instead of a deterrent? I will not fear when a candidate doesn’t appear after the first, second or third search. This just means I may need to redefine my search. I will not fear when a client doesn’t respond. Maybe I can give him or her new incentive to do so. I will not fear that I am not good enough to sit in my chair. I’ve earned the right to be here â€" sometimes I just need to remind myself of that. I will not fear my monthly goal. Instead, I will try to meet it, or better yet, exceed it. I will not fear that I am not seen as an expert in my craft. Maybe this is just the opportunity I need to show others my passion for what I do. I will not fear when I do not know a particular role. Instead, I will use this as an opportunity to expand my knowledge in a new area. The next time you’re asked to stand in front of anyone and be accountable for anything, look them in the eyes and thank them for their attention, as they have given you the opportunity to set fear aside and sing. Author: Kim Castro is a Manager of Recruiting Services at Insperity. Her extensive career includes 10+ years of Recruiting experience for a variety of disciplines. You can find Kim on  LinkedIn.

How to Set Big Goals And Break Through The Glass Ceiling

How to Set Big Goals And Break Through The Glass Ceiling The following is a guest post by  Danyel Surrency Jones.  Her bio follows. Will there ever be a day when women in business are recognized as just business leaders? Although this question is always a hot topic, I no longer care about pontificating on the answer. When I walk into a meeting or join a conference call, I no longer get anxious about what my male counterparts might be thinking about my intellect, my strategic agility,  or  my 5 inch heels.  Or,  if they think I should be at home with my 3 year old daughter or my unborn second child wrestling in my belly. It’s not a secret I am a women; It’s not a secret I am pregnant; It’s not a secret that very few women sit at the table in the sports industry; It’s not a secret that my business partner is also my husband.  After 22 months of being a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of a start-up athletic training products company, there is only one secret I am confident will be revealed.  And that is that I am authentically talented by the grace of God and my intellect deserves a seat at this table. Change Your Mindset As a women executive who embraces the diversity I bring to business and to the sports world, my goals aren’t focused on changing the stereotype of business as a “man’s world” so to speak. My goal is to help other professional women see the true barrier to breaking our glass ceiling lies within our own force. Our force is our mindset, our resilience and our grit. I am compelled to help women understand they can be a Wife, Mother, Executive and Philanthropist.  All without feeling guilty about wanting to take on more than one role in life. One of my favorite quotes is, “My balance is my imbalance.” My identity is not predicated on what society feels I should be.  It is predicated on understanding my purpose and unleashing my talents.  Then, I can fulfill my own happiness and  create happiness in others. You Can Have it All Isnt a Cliche I started my career immediately following undergraduate school.  Soon after,  I witnessed a woman on my team gain all the awards and accolades as the top producer in the company for medical device sales. She was single, with a beautiful German car and a nice condo right on the beach.  Surprisingly,  she was very unhappy.    She desired to be a wife and a mother.  But with her schedule and her strong take-charge personality, she felt she might have to give up something in order to fulfill these wishes. I was then promoted by the only woman executive in the company, who became one of my mentors. I witnessed a Wife, Mother, and very intelligent business woman in the boardroom and on the golf course.  And, I witnessed her get beaten by the “good ole boy” system. She lost her identify in corporate America.  But as any strong women does, she rebuilt her identity as a very successful entrepreneur.  Her  life is a great example that a business woman can HAVE IT ALL. Lead With Passion and Accountability Developing my career in corporate America for the first 15 years exposed me to many different styles of leadership. Whether the leader was great or less impressive, I listened and learned.  And then I developed my own leadership style. I realized that leadership is all about authentically creating opportunity for ideas and people to be moved by your passion, accountability and drive. Leadership is the needle that  blends talented threads together to achieve something better than ordinary. Little did I know at the time, but corporate America was creating the foundation I needed to be an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, my grind and grit has escalated to a level I didn’t know existed. Almost 2 years ago my husband and I had a vision to create POWERHANDZ Inc.  Powerhandz is an athletic training products company that designs and manufactured skill development products for youth and professional athletes. As the Chief Operating Officer, we are leveraging my leadership, sales marketing and operation skills.   Were developing a global brand that will impact the performance of basketball, baseball, softball, and football and boxing/MMA athletes. We are also driving a socially conscious mission through our Power to Give Foundation.  A percentage of profits from every product sold through POWERHANDZ funds the foundation.   I currently serve as the President of the Board. Know Your Purpose And Break Through The Glass Ceiling As a Wife, Mother, Executive and Philanthropist, I am only able to fulfill these roles by understanding my purpose.  I allow my faith to be the guiding principle as I execute. I know my journey won’t be easy but I want my life to be an example of what will happen when you break down your own barriers.  I want to demonstrate the results of authentically living with purpose and confidently allowing all your gifts to shine.   If I can inspire one-business woman not to choose anything less than having it all, my mission is accomplished. Danyel Surrency Jones Bio Danyel Surrency Jones has over 17 years of sales marketing leadership experience. After developing her talents in a corporate environment she recently transitioned her strategic mindset to entrepreneurial ventures. As the Co- Founder Chief Operating Officer of POWERHANDZ Inc., she has responsibilities for developing the business framework, overseeing all strategic and operational programs and driving the sales marketing strategy. Since the launch of POWERHANDZ in July of 2014, the company has sold its products to youth and professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA and PGA in 55 countries. Danyel earned her undergraduate degree in Healthcare Administration at the University of Central Florida and obtained her MBA in Healthcare Management from Florida International University while working fulltime. She also graduated from the Wharton School of Business Marketing Leadership Program. Danyel is a member of the National Association of Professional Women and a member of Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and business partner Darnell Jones and their daughter Hartley Rose.

Top 5 Things to Remember in an Interview

Top 5 Things to Remember in an Interview You worked hard on your resume and job application, and now you are called in for an in-person job interview. You are one step closer to your dream job. It’s time to understand how to succeed in the job interview, so that you can actually land the job. Here are the most important things you have to remember. 1. Dress appropriately Plan out an outfit that fits the culture of the company  you are applying for. If the company does not have a dress code, it’s a good idea to wear business casual. Leave your shorts and tank top at home, and put on a shirt and a pair of long pants. It’s always better to be overdressed than under. Try on your outfit before the interview to make sure that it fits and looks smart. 2. Arrive on time Don’t ever arrive at a job interview late! It’s best to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time in case you have to fill in some paperwork. This also allows you to settle down and check out the dynamics of the office. If you are not familiar with the area in which the company is located, do a test run a week or two before to make sure that you won’t get lost. If you are driving, make a note on where you can park your car. 3. Mind your manner Be polite and greet everyone you meet, including people you meet in the elevator. When you enter the interview, offer the interviewer a warm greeting. These first few seconds can make or break your interview. At the end of the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for giving you the opportunity for the meeting. When you leave the company, say goodbye to the receptionist. 4. Pay attention to your body language Poor body language, such as playing with a pen, chewing gum, slouching, and even brushing back hair, can be a distraction. If you notice you have a tendency to do any of these, train yourself to avoid these bad habits. You can replace them with positive body language that include nodding, eye contact, smiling, and solid posture. 5. Ask insightful questions Most interviewers end an interview by allowing the candidate to ask questions. Regardless of how well you know the company and how thorough the interviewer in telling you about the job, you must ask a few questions. The more insightful your questions are, the more you will impress your interviewer. What do you do in an interview? Let us know in the comments below!

Why Your Resume Needs to Be Good

Why Your Resume Needs to Be GoodA resume is not just a list of your accomplishments; it should also be written with the assistance of good resume writing. This will allow your employers to see why you are the best candidate for the job, and why they should hire you.Your resume will consist of two parts: the first part is the contact information, which includes your name, address, phone number, email address, and physical address. This information will go in the 'About Me' section. The second part is the cover page, which contains your work history and educational background. The cover page must highlight your talents and qualifications for the position.As with any other document, a resume must have high quality content to effectively sell yourself to an employer. It must be creative, professional, and unique. A resume writing service can help a company create a professional looking resume, one that provides a better advertisement of your capabilities and strengths. Resume writing ser vices offer a wide variety of templates to choose from, and their professionals can customize it to fit your own needs. While many companies may not be able to afford full time resume writers, there are a variety of online resume writing services that can do this job at a minimal cost.One of the most important things to keep in mind when writing a resume is that it must be formatted in a way that is easy to read and understand. A resume should contain numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks, as well as spellings of important words. Having a resume formatted in this manner can also make it easier for your future employer to read your resume and determine if they need to contact you. Most online resume writing services will allow you to have an idea of what your resume should look like before you begin to write it. They can then provide you with a sample resume, which can make the task of writing a resume much easier.Resume writing services can provide you with professional resumes tha t you can use for free. Free samples can give you a rough idea of what your resume should look like, and how it should be formatted. A professional resume writer will be able to eliminate grammatical errors, change words to fit the job requirements, and even provide you with a sample cover page to help you tailor your resume to the hiring company. Even if you do not plan on submitting your resume, hiring a professional resume writer can make it easier for you to make the decisions that are right for you.Resume writing services can help you find a quality resume that will help you land the job you want. Some companies may require a formal review or may only accept resumes that are completed by a specific date. Using an online resume writing service can make it easier for you to find a qualified resume to use when the time comes. You can get your resume formatted on your own and make sure it is formatted correctly before you submit it.Resume writing services can also help you take an existing resume and turn it into a unique one. The service can create a custom cover page for you that showcases your skills and qualifications. Using a resume writing service will also save you money. Companies that offer resume writing services typically charge less per submission, and will guarantee that your resume gets read by the hiring company. Not all resume writing services are created equal, so you need to do your research to find a quality company.Before you start writing your resume, be sure to ask yourself some important questions. What does your career goal or objective mean to you? How can you best showcase your abilities, experiences, and skills? Once you know these answers, you will be better equipped to make decisions that will help you find the job that is best for you.

del.icio.us - now featuring happyatwork - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

del.icio.us - now featuring happyatwork - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I finally got my act together and started using del.icio.us, a website that lets users share links. From their website: What makes del.icio.us a social system is its ability to let you see the links that others have collected, as well as showing you who else has bookmarked a specific site. You can also view the links collected by others, and subscribe to the links of people whose lists you find interesting. Clever! Ive started tagging relevant links with happyatwork and you can too. Lets create a store of happy-at-work-related links together. * See my del.icio.us links here. * See happyatwork links here. There arent that many yet but Im guessing there will be :o) 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

Banksy The Bear And The Bee - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Banksy The Bear And The Bee - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog The anonymous british street artist Banksy made a hilarious piece on the side of a trash container in Notting Hill, that is highly relevant to happiness at work. The text is a parody of a La Fontaine fable and goes like this: Once upon a time there was a bear and a bee who lived in a wood and were the best of friends. All summer long the bee collected nectar from morning to night while the bear lay on his back basking in the long grass. When Winter came the Bear realised he had nothing to eat and thought to himself I hope that busy little Bee will share some of his honey with me. But the Bee was nowhere to be found he had died of a stress induced coronary disease. Theres a larger picture of it here. 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