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Posted at 10:43 AM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Forget those cups of coffee to get you through the day. There are now “smart drugs” called cognition enhancers, created from research into diseases like Alzheimer’s, which can improve memory, attention and speed of thought in healthy people. According to the
Posted at 11:22 AM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)
Research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has shown that many job applicants need to spend more time preparing for interviews, with many recruitment consultancies saying that they have had complaints from clients about the behaviour and appearance of candidates. Nearly half of the firms surveyed said they had received complaints about “off-putting personal hygiene habits” in interviews. Other criticisms included strange outfits and peculiar answers to interview questions. With this in mind, here are our top ten tips for dazzling your interviewer:
1. Leave plenty of time to get there – a delayed train or a traffic jam can easily make you late
2. Dress to impress but keep it simple
3. Do your research and make sure you know who you’re meeting and that you have some knowledge of the company – what do they do and what are their key values?
4. Think about your CV and how it shows what you can bring to the role
5. Turn off your mobile phone!
6. Be confident (although not over confident) and just be yourself
7. Be honest and think clearly about how you are going to answer the questions
8. Listen and show interest
9. Don’t fidget and don’t smoke beforehand – small things can make a big difference to a first impression
10. Leave questions about salary, bonuses, holiday etc until a later date
Posted at 11:58 AM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 11:26 AM in FYI | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
We are always talking about the raging “war for talent” and how there is a great demand for, but short supply of, skilled personnel in the marketplace. However management ‘guru’ Wayne Turmel takes a different view in his recent article on management-issues.com: http://www.management-issues.com/2008/4/28/opinion/what-war-for-talent.asp. He argues that organisations should be investing in training - both for current employees so they can move up the company ladder and for new recruits who may not tick all the boxes but with a little help can get their skills up to scratch. So does the war for talent exist? And if so, is it the employer’s fault? There may still be problems finding the perfect candidates to fill new positions but maybe Turmel is right in that we just have to approach the situation from a different perspective. Salary increases, training and the help of recruitment professionals should ensure that you can recruit the best talent. As Turmel says, “there's very little…that a little more time, money, or forethought (mostly forethought) wouldn't cure.”
Posted at 11:15 AM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Feeling ill, stressed or tired? The solution may be easier than you thought – get some plants to brighten up your office. Research by the Agricultural University of Norway has shown that the more plants workers could see from their desk, the less self-reported sick leave they took. Plants in the office also appeared to reduce fatigue, headaches and even dry skin. Washington State University found that greenery also improved staff reaction times by 12% and lead to a quicker recovery from stress. Apparently this is a combination of plants’ ability to remove toxins from the air and the positive psychological affect that plants can have. Although we don’t recommend going over the top – an office resembling a jungle can’t be good for productivity – if a plant can brighten the office up and maybe be beneficial to our health, then it may be worth a go. Just don’t get distracted and procrastinate by watering it or deciding which corner it looks best in…we already have the internet for that.
Posted at 11:59 AM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A new survey by Marketing magazine proves what a complex bunch we British are, and how difficult successful marketing can be. Tesco, British Airways, the Sun and Manchester United were voted both the least popular and most loved brands in their respective categories – so although the Sun came away as the least popular newspaper, it was also the most popular daily tabloid. Maybe it’s our British cynicism and ‘love to hate’ nature, or maybe we do really love these brands but just hate being bombarded by their constant PR and marketing. Either way, they must be doing something right – you can’t win them all.
Posted at 11:45 AM in PR and marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
In a new survey, workers have voted Tuesday at the most productive day of the week. Nearly half of all those questioned by Peninsula said that they feel Tuesday is when they get the most done. Five years ago in 2003, Monday was the winner, but this now seems to be spent catching up on emails, gossip and the likes, with the hard work getting started the next day. The most unproductive days with 1% of the vote were Saturday and Sunday, closely followed by Friday afternoon. Big surprise there. So if you have that piece of work you keep swiftly moving to the bottom of the pile, maybe have a go at it on a Tuesday.
Posted at 12:15 PM in The workplace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
You may soon be reading this blog from an internet connection brought to you via your sewage system - that’s if you live in Bournemouth. Over the next six months the seaside town will become the first in the UK to have the new super fast broadband service, the cables for which are being laid through the town’s sewer system. Residents and businesses will be able to benefit from broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps and the scheme is cheaper and more eco friendly than digging up roads to lay the cables. I can picture vital emails getting lost as a result of a rat chewing through the cables…let’s just hope they’ve got that covered…
Posted at 11:14 AM in FYI | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Feeling under the weather at your desk? Research this week shows that your keyboard could be to blame. Which? Computing magazine examined 33 keyboards and found a variety of bacteria which can make you ill – one keyboard even had to be removed from the office as it was five times dirtier than a toilet seat. As well as dust and poor personal hygiene, the main culprit was people eating at their desks. So if you want to keep on fighting fit it might be an idea to give your computer a clean – and save your sandwiches until you’ve finished writing that email.
Posted at 11:52 AM in FYI, The workplace | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)