Team Building Your Way to Better Employee Engagement - Spark Hire

Team Building Your Way to Better Employee Engagement - Spark HireSpark Hire has been discussing employee engagement a lot recenlty. For one, its a very important factor in the success of your company. If you do not have engaged employees, then chances are they are less concerned with their productivity and the affect it has on the company. Furthermora, when companies are not engaged with employees it is difficult to know where improvements are needed or where recognition is due. Aside from this, employee engagement is also just a great way to create a better company culture.It has been said that happy employees are mora productive employees, and its likely that engaged employees are happier than their disengaged counterpartes. Plus, disengaged employees are more likely to slack off and waste your companys time and money. So how can a company work towards better employee engagement? For starters, you can work on creating a team and not just a group of coworkers.Team building is one of the best ways to start working towards great employee engagement. If your company, department or group of employees views themselves as more of a team, chances are they are going to be much more engaged with your company than if they viewed themselves just as coworkers. Its easy to think this just comes naturally since they spend so much time together in the office, but building a team- a real team that is connected and communicates with one another- usually doesnt happen over night. There are a few ways you can start working on team building in your company or department to be more engaged with your employees- and have them be more engaged with each other as well.Tis the SeasonIts no surprise we have entered the holiday season and Christmas is in full swing. It may seem as though Halloween was just yesterday, but the fact of the matter is the holidays are here Its a time of stress, fun, food and parties, but it can also be a great time to engage with your employees or with your te am. Think of some things your department or team can do together to celebrate the season. Perhaps you want to head a Secret Santa where each employee buys another a present with a maximum price set. Its a great way to get your employees together and to communicate in a way that doesnt really involve business.Having a department or office Christmas party is another great way to get your employees to come together outside the office. This is a standard for a lot of companies around the holidays, but if its not for your company perhaps you should think about throwing one. Its a great way for coworkers to see each other outside of the workplace setting and to relax together. Keep in mind though that its best to have your company party at a convenient time where most people will be able to attend. Be sure to announce the date and time well in advance so that everyone can try and fit it into their schedules.Office Softball Team Its winter time, so obviously not all companies across the co untry can take part in outdoor activities, but not all sports are outdoors. Having a company team that participates in some kind of sport each month or each year is a great way to get employees engaged. Theres no better way to build a team then to have them work together as a team in a sport. Talk to your employees and see if any of them would be interested in joining a league as a company team. Know a place that has a yearly or monthly dodge ball tournament? Anyone in for bowling? In fact, you dont even have to play a sport to get everyone to sign on as a team. Perhaps your employees would be more interested in joining a monthly trivia day at a bar that is close by.Communicate with your employees and see if any of them would be interested in participating in something like this. Its a great way to get the team together outside of the office in a fun setting. The best scenario would be something that meets monthly rather than weekly, since your employees may not want to commit to so mething that happens so often.Employee FeedbackA great way to show your employees that you are part of the team and that you want them to work as a team is to ask for their feedback. Give out a survey each month or each quarter, and ask them for some feedback on how things have been going. This is a great way for your department or company to communicate without putting anyone in particular on the spot. Perhaps someone has an issue with the way something is being handled or carried out but does not want to speak on it directly. Having a survey where your employees can anonymously voice their opinion is a great way to gain employee feedback and make improvements in your company. Its also a great way to show your team that you value their opinion and that you value their happiness or satisfaction in your company or department.You can also have a monthly or quarterly focus group where your team sits down together to discuss and brainstorm ways in which what they are doing can be done b etter. What needs to be done as a whole and what can each individual do to work towards that goal? This is a great way to get your team communicating in a very productive manner. Make sure someone has control of the conversation though so time is not simply wasted.behauptung are some great way to get started on building teamwork in your office, but they are not the only ways. There are many ways you can work on team building to increase employee engagement within your company. Get creative and think outside of the box. The best and most fun team building tactics are those that are unique and creative. Create something that is unique to your company and you will be on your way to a strong team and an engaged employee base.What does your company do to work on team building and employee engagement? If its nothing, do you wish they did more? Share with us in the comments section belowIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by clam113

How to Make Talent Acquisition Manageable with a Busy HR Schedule

How to Make Talent Acquisition Manageable with a Busy HR ScheduleWe need to hire a new sales rep. Alice quit.As an HR professional, unexpected talent acquisitioncan completely derail your schedule for the next few months. The hiringprocess can be a daunting task to add to an already full HR plate.In fact, a 2016 survey by Officevibe reports it takes an average of 27 working days to make a new hire, which is at an all-time high. Avoid drowning in the hiring process. Instead, use this guide to weave talent acquisition effectively into your already overloaded schedule Practice Time Efficient StrategiesAssessing candidates is a top priority when you are an HR pro. You will find yourself in hot water if you cant quickly bewerberinterview candidates and decide if theyre right for the job. Decrease time spent reviewing candidates by practicing more time-efficient talent acquisition strategies.Use One-Way Video InterviewsEffectively operating a business means finding the right tools and usin g them properly. Cloud-based phone ordnungsprinzip provider FluentStream Technologies found this to be true when they struggled during the preliminary interview process. As a small and vivacious startup, FluentStream Technologies employees wear many hats on any given day. They were so busy they couldnt find time to commit to a traditional hiring process. As a result, they were wasting time and missing out on the best candidates. A top priority was discovering a faster way to vet candidates after they sifted through resumes. Their original process was to conduct a phone interview, but it wasnt effective and it didnt provide a deeper understanding of candidates.So, they began using a video interview platform to more efficiently analyze their candidate pool. One-way video interviews saved precious time during the preliminary elimination round and effectively moved candidates through the hiring process. Josh Ellis, former Director of Marketing and Customer Development at FluentStream Te chnologies said, Our first new video interview hire was a knockout super skilled, outgoing, and a good cultural fit with our company. FluentStream Technologies now regularly invites candidates to participate in one-way video interviews since theyve found so much success.One-way video interviews are convenient and create the right environment to make connections with the right people. Plus, you can review the recorded interviews again and again to make sure your original assessment was correct before moving them to the next step. Hold an Employee Referral Day Employee referrals are one of the best and most dependable sources for talent acquisition. In fact, a 2016 LinkedIn survey found that 32 percent of hiring professionals said employee referral programs are the top source for quality hires.When your current employees bring you potential candidates, it saves you the time you would have spent scouring the internet. It also has the added advantage of your employees already know your company culture. They know what it takes to be successful, so you can be confident that theyre referring the best candidates.Jump start your employee referral program by holding an employee referral day. All of your current employees can bring a friend whos interested in a new job to the office.At the end of the day, tell everyone about the jobs you currently have open and how to apply for them. Youll receive many quality applications without having to take much time out of your day.Reduce In-person Interviews Without Reducing Your ReachInterviewing candidates who dont currently live in your region can be an expensive and time consuming task. However, notlage considering these candidates reduces the expanse of your talent pool.Instead of wasting resources scheduling a time to bring a long distance candidate into the office, simply send them the link to your interview scheduling page. In a matter of minutes, they can find a time when youre both available to talk. Then, you can asses s their fit through a live video interview.Use videointerviews to enhance talentacquisition efforts.Click To TweetUse Technology to Your AdvantageHR professionals must use the most convenient tools to save the optimal amount of time during talent acquisition. Tools that allow you to work smarter, not harder, are indispensable. Go MobileA video interviewing mobile app is one tool that makes working on the go possible. And this is a trend thats not going away. According to a 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report, 56 percent of companies surveyed are redesigning their HR programs to leverage digital and mobile tools.And thats because these tools are saving HR professionals time. You can review candidates from anywhere at anytime. For instance, while youre waiting in line for your morning latte, you can login on your phone and screen several one-way video interviews.Because you can fit reviewing video interviews into your schedule more conveniently, the hiring process is accelerated. Decreasing your response time improves the candidate experience, securing top talent faster.Improve the Candidate Experience Many HR professionals overlook the fact that the better your candidate experience is, the quicker you can fill open positions. A 2016 Robert Half report found that 46 percent of job seekers say they lose interest in a role if they havent heard back from a company within one to two weeks. So if youre not using the best technology to communicate and engage with candidates, they will get bored and youll have to start over in your search.To avoid this hiring misstep, use simple but effective technology to reach out to candidates. Video messages are a great way to do this. You can send candidates youre interested in a short video that lets them know where they are in the hiring process and what to expect next. This makes their experience more personalized and shows them that you and the company are sincerely interested in them.Use Convenient Scheduling Tools Keepin g up with HR digital trends means staying on top of conveniences like intuitive scheduling tools. Avoid getting bogged down by back and forth emails. Scheduling tools support popular calendar applications like iCloud, Google, Outlook.com and more. No matter what calendar you and your hiring team prefer, a great scheduling tool can be used by everyone.Consider using an interview scheduling tool that gives you the ability to create a branded landing page to match your company brand. This saves you time during talent acquisition because you wont need to worry about matching signatures or logos.The best thing about scheduling platforms is the time they save with back and forth emails. Relying on emails to schedule interviews typically requires several correspondences before a time is decided on. If the candidate only checks their email once a day, youre extending your hiring process exponentially. Scheduling tools offer synchronized availability and save HR pros time.Click To TweetHit T wo HR Birds with One StoneTheres a lot of overlap in HR duties. When you find ways to accomplish multiple goals with one action it makes your life easier.Create Employee Ambassadors Great employees deserve recognition. And great employees attract other quality talent. By creating an employee ambassadors you can acknowledge your great employees and attract top talent.The easiest way to do that is through social media. Regularly share posts that feature your high performing employees. Use featured videos of employees on social media to develop a sense of employee recognition and create a positive employer brand. Film employees discussing the positive things they have to say about the company. Prospective candidates will be more interested in a company that is trusted by their staff.Having employees promote the company to talent in their network saves you time searching for top talent. They will be able to share these unique branded videos with their audience.This effectively grows you r company brand by using word-of-mouth advertising. This is a very efficient means of sourcing, as you position your company for optimized talent acquisition in the exact place job seekers are looking.In fact, the recent Career Arc study, The Future of Recruiting, found that 67 percent of job seekers say they believe their social and professional networks will be an even more useful job search resource in the next five years. Host an Elevator Pitch WorkshopSchedule an elevator pitch workshop. Allot a day to coach employees on creating an elevator pitch about their role at the organization. Encourage employees to dig into workplace culture and develop a better understanding of how they contribute to the overall business model. Record their pitch via video and share it on the company website and social media. This will reinforce employee engagement by helping them feel more connected to company culture and growth. Time is money in almost every scenario when you are an HR pro. Practici ng time efficient strategies, using technology to your advantage, and combining daily tasks will help to make the best use of time during your talent acquisition efforts.How do you manage to work effective talent acquisition into your busy HR schedule? Let us know

How to Get Your Point Across the Right Way

How to Get Your Point Across the Right WayHow to Get Your Point Across the Right WayWhen were trying to get a point across to someone else, we often think long and hard about what we want to say. That is the wrong way to go about it. Instead of focusing on what you want to say to get your point across, you should focus on communicating what you want the other person to hear. What Do I Want to Say? Whether you are giving instructions to an employee, ordering food at a drive-through, or writing a memo explaining the new dress code you want to be sure to get your point across. You want to say just the right thing, so the other person understands your point. Sometimes you practice what you are going to say. Often we write drafts of our memos and speeches to make sure we use the right words. All this is done to make sure we send the right message. Countless books and articles have been written that explain why sending the right message is so important they try to teach you how to send exactly the message you want to send. Their authors stress the importance of being concise, precise, and specific in choosing your words, regardless of whether you write them or speak them. They tell you that this is the best way to get your point across to your audience.???? Who Is My Audience? We all know how important our audience is in deciding what we are going to say and how we are going to say it. Explaining the value of a new phone system is different if you are speaking to the finance department than if you are addressing the telesales staff. The better you know your audience, the easier it is for you to tailor your message to them. The more your message is tailored to your audience, the more likely it is that you will get your point across. How Do I Reach Them? While the message you send is important, the message the receiver hears is even more important. If you know your audience, you usually have an idea of how they will interpret or filter what you say. You can use this to your advantage to make sure they receive the message you are trying to send. We all know, for instance, that if we are addressing a group of first-graders, we cant use big words because they wont get it. They wont understand our message. So we choose words they will understand. Rather than using big words that convey the message we want to send, we use words we think they will understand. That way they will hear our message and understand it. Dont try to explain technical concepts to accountants using technical terms. Dont use a financial analogy to get a point across to the Creative Department. If you want your service department to handle more calls per day, tell them that. Dont tell them they need to reduce the time interval between customer-interface opportunities. Manage This Issue To increase your chances of getting your point across, focus more on the receiver than on the sender. Tailor your message to your audience to improve their comprehension. Dont worry so much about what you want to say as you do about what you want them to hear and understand.

How to recover when you get a name wrong in an email

How to recover when you get a name wrong in an emailHow to recover when you get a name wrong in an emailMessing up someones name in an email is so embarrassing. But with the number of emails that find their way into ur inboxes every day, its probably happened to you.Heres how to recover.Follow-up in a human way after you catch your mistakeWriter Kathryn Shanley writes on LinkedIn about how she did this.close dialogAdvertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012257 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-transform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012257 top 0 right 0 /* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child padding 0width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparent.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1pxbox-shadow 0px 0px 0px 3px black.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-3RBnJGC position absolutetop 50%left 50%transform translate(-50%, -50%)z-index -1.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-wryzWV5 width 55px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-wryzWV5 *first-child animation-name bx-anim-1012257-spinanimation-duration 800msanimation-iteration-count infiniteanimation-timing-function linear.b xc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-me4p1bl padding 10px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-ZdLO37u width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-ZdLO37u *first-child padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34)Recently, I sent an email to a prospective client with a job bid. I knew all about her company, what associations she belonged to, what publications she read but obviously didnt learn enough about her because I spelled her name wrong in the salutation I tried elend to beat myself up too much because I knew my brain was focusing on the meaning of my email rather than the spelling of her name, she writes. I sent her an email apologizing for my mistake and told her how much it irks me when someone spells my name wrong. She got right back to me requesting more information about my proposa l and said people often spell her name incorrectly.If youre using Gmail, hit the miraculous undo buttonWeve waited our whole lives for this Having a button that will take back that email within a specific window of time probably couldve saved you a whole lot of anxiety in the past. So take advantage of it.Just make aya youve enabled the featurein Settings first - right now, you can choose to retrieve the message after either five, 10, 20 or 30 seconds.Bonus tip do this before someone messes up your nameIt works both ways - save yourself before youre on the receiving end of this mistake.Writer Stav Ziv writes in The Muse about what to do to prevent someone from calling you the wrong name via email, and features advice from an expert who is the founder of Frable Consulting.Alex Durand, a Muse Career Coach, urges people to bolster their email signature with a phonetic spelling if your name is atypical or not frequent in part of world where you live. In other words, write it out in pa rentheses the way you would for graduation, Ziv writes.

6 Challenges to finding the best IT talent

6 Challenges to finding the best IT talent6 Challenges to finding the best IT talent6 Challenges to finding the best IT talent Dinnen, Contributing WriterOur economy is becoming ever more reliant on technology. Whatever job you do there is very little that is notlage impacted in some way by IT, whether its the way your organisation does geschftsleben or the manner in which you complete your tasks.The recent Global Human Capital Trends Report from Deloitte showed that Technology was one of the HR professions most urgent issues yet one that they felt least ready to deal with. For those needing to leverage new software to ease the lives of their workforce there is much to learn about features and functionality, whilst those teams responsible for recruiting technology face a whole different set of schwierigkeits.Any time there is talk of skill and talent shortages you can be sure that IT will always be one of the key sectors mentioned, and it is certainly one that seems to be having its fair share of difficulties in finding the right talent at the moment.Lets look at some of the main challengesToo many vacancies Its a problem in many sectors at the moment but IT seems to be suffering more than most with some recruiters reporting up to four vacancies for each available developer. It might be time to redraft the job spec or look again at the exact skills you need, either through re-apportioning duties or looking for people who may just be an intensive training course away from being fully conversant in a new coding language.Candidates are passiveThere are some good IT operators around but they tend not to actively look for a new role. Recruiters need a subtle approach to sourcing as technology employees rarely respond to a full on headhunting call. You need to understand where they hang out, which platforms they use, what would encourage them to move and build rapport slowly.Try talking tech to tech Lets be honest, most recruiters and most techies tend to be differ ent types of people. They talk different languages. Recruiters are often confident, gregarious and happy to start any conversation whereas tech people quite often are more reserved and prefer to talk to other tech people. Maybe the answer is for recruiters to get their own IT people involved in the early stages.Social recruitment trainer and author Katrina Collier wrote recently about comparethemarket.com and their approach to getting the IT people involved in the recruitment processThey dont see it as an us versus them situation, instead they work closely with the in-house recruiters to identify potential candidates and then they make contact. The are finding this tech-to-tech approach fruitful in overcoming barriersLooking in the wrong places Unless you know the market really well you may not realise that outside of the main social and recruiting platforms there are specialist forums, discussion groups and networking sites that attract technology specialists who like to share inf ormation and new discoveries, and help to solve each others problems. It may be the person youre looking for is currently active on these platforms.Talk to your own IT department, or other tech candidates, and find out which are the best platforms to connect with people who have the programming and coding skills that you need. Better still, get a techie to connect for youToo much sourcing technology Do recruiters really know where to start looking for specialist candidates? There are so many new free tools that it must be tempting to try one and if you cant find what youre looking for then try another Experienced talent hunters know that you need to have a strategy and carefully map out the skills and sector you are searching for if you are trying to find those with highly sought after, specialist skills. This could be one for a detective not a big game hunter.Rewards and opportunity Whilst were talking about highly sought after, specialist skills its important to remember that th ey come at a price. Whilst throwing money at a recruitment problem rarely succeeds, competitive compensation for those who have the right skills is a must.Its not only about money though. Many in IT move for greater challenge and opportunity, increased flexibility, a chance to work in an innovative culture that gives talented people the bandwidth to experiment, test and create, so it will also be key to have an environment conducive to the type of people you want to attract. Few businesses can thrive without the right technology skills so its vital to try as varied a range of recruiting tactics as you can. If youre having difficulty it might just be time to redefine the problem and get your tech team on the case too.Author BioMervyn Dinnen is an award winning blogger and a content social engagement strategist. He specialises in the Recruitment and HR sectors and is a regular speaker and panellist at industry conferences. Get more hiring tips from http//hiring.monster.co.uk

5 Tips to Create an Executive Level Resume

5 Tips to Create an Executive Level Resume5 Tips to Create an Executive Level ResumeSo, you are starting your search and need to write an executive level resume. Rest assured, you are off to the right start. Whether you are fed up with your job or just looking to make a career transition, your need for a resume is inevitable. As you are probably already aware, your executive resume is fairly important.This 1-3 page document is how recruiters and hiring managers determine which applicants are worthy of interviewing. I know, the job search process can be a real nuisance. However, the resume is notlage one of those steps you are going to want to rush.Dont worry, all you have to do is use the following tips to create your executive level resume and you will get the attention you deserve.If youd rather hire someone than do it yourself, check out the top 10 resume writing services for senior level executives.1. Summary replaced objectiveWe will assume that you know how to add your name and contact information to the top of your resume so we will skip right past that An executive summary is extremely important for a senior level position This is where you explain in a brief, strategic message, what you can do for the company. This summary does not need to be rewritten for every single job you apply for, but it should be tweaked towards a specific industry and job title.If you are still using an objective bewertung to begin your resume, you need to get with the ages. An objective statement is where you state your objectives and career goals. We are sorry to break it to you, but most companies do not care about what they can do to further your career.Rather, they want to know what you are bringing to the table to benefit the organization. Focus on your experience and qualifications in your summary to set the tone for your executive level resume Sample SummarySuccessful, accomplished senior level Sales Operations leader skilled with proven strategic vision and the abilit y to develop and execute on complex commercial plans to increase profitability. Adept at delivering expansive growth, operational productivity, proactive insights and sale force effectiveness through the development of talent, organizations, and systems. Entrepreneurial, versatile and innovative business leader, skilled at using data and analytics. Effective and persuasive communicator with a natural ability to interact seamlessly with executives, personnel, and customers, specializing in making the complex simple and easy to understand and leading with a resourceful, collaborative, hands-on style. 2. Customize your resume for the jobIts important to understand that your situation is unique from anyone else that is looking for a six-figure job. Dont waste time looking for a one size fits all solution, instead spend that time wisely strategizing your own solution. How many opportunities are available for the position, location, and salary that you are looking for?If you are willing t o work anywhere in the U.S. and accept a wide salary range, then you may not need to edit your resume as often as someone else. You have the law of large numbers on your side, and the luxury of applying to many different positions that fit your criteria. Plus, applying to jobs can be an annoying task. Dont make it harder on yourself by sending 1,000 customized applications.Contrary, if you are a Manager, Director, or VP who isnt willing to relocate, and is very set on a specific salary, you might notice that there are very few jobs for you to apply for. You do not have the law of large numbers on your side. This makes it very important to submit the highest quality executive level resume to each job you apply for. If you only find ten jobs a month that are a good fit for you, you better make sure you have sent ten executive resumes that are slightly tweaked towards each position.Your executive level resume is no different than anything else. Take dating for example... you might try a few cheesy pick-up lines before you find one that works. You can do that because you have millions of options. But if you only had five choices, you would make sure that you brought your A-Game every time. 3. Quantify your accomplishmentsAccomplishments can be one of the most challenging components of your executive resume. You would be surprised at the number of resumes that come across my desk with bullet points that describe the job duties of the position. Please believe me when I tell you that the person reading your resume is smart enough to know what the typical Director of Sales Operations does day-to-day. A quick Google search on Director of Sales Operations Job Description can tell you that. The hiring manager expects to binnensee a lot more than job duties on your executive level resume.When you are writing, your executive level resume you absolutely must quantify your achievements whenever possible. I understand this is easier to do for sales positions then it would be for an English Teacher but do your best.If you increased sales at your company By what percentage? What new markets were you able to enter? What projects did you lead and what were the outcomes (dont mention the bad ones)? These are all questions hiring managers are asking in their head while reviewing your executive level resume. Quantify achievements and explain the outcome of each major task that you completed. Be specific, and if you dont know exact figures, ballpark, and (dont inflate) estimate.The point is, everyone has similar experience levels. If you send a resume describing your job duties, you are no different than the other 49 resumes being submitted. Stand out, show off your achievements that everyone else left off their resume and secure your interview. Sample AchievementsLed creation, implementation, and training of activity dashboards, improving visibility and metrics of sales representatives sales coverage ( an increase of 15%), call per week ( an increase of 55%) a nd co-travels with managers ( an increase of 20%).Conceived, developed, and implemented first-ever identification of 50,000 retail outlets into field and Account Manager reports, resulting in optimization of sales force effort to highest potential targets and the creation of a new marketing pull-through strategy.Dramatically revised compensation, forecasting, and quota allocation programs to enhance strategic alignment, increase sales force engagement and maximize attainment curves at territory, region, and area levels.4. Keep it simpleThere are about a million opinions out there on how you should design your resume. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter. I am sorry that you paid $1,000 for a fancy looking resume that doesnt bring results. Its time to start fresh.We have proven time and time again that your achievements and work experience speak louder than any font, color, or formatting on your executive level resume. Dont get caught up in these fancy designs that are created to attract you to some resume service. No design in the world is going to get you an interview if the content is garbage.Also, everybody has a different opinion on what looks good. If you send your fancy resume to one recruiter, they might love it. But you can easily send that resume to another recruiter, who happens to hate the color red. Dont risk your future position on silly recruiter bias. The content on your executive level resume is king, and everyone can appreciate good content. 5. Play the game get hiredWhether you like it or not, if you want a job, you must play the game. Recruiters and hiring managers love to believe that you are only applying to their company, that you are not using your resume for any other job openings, and that you spent many hours crafting a resume just for their eyes. Ha That is hilarious. Who has time for that?As unrealistic as this is, this is truly what companies expect out of their applicants. I cant tell you how many times I have heard recruiters complain that someone sent a resume that was not 100% tailored towards the job posting. They clearly have no idea how time-consuming the process of applying for jobs can be.This goes back to the point we made about being strategic. Sometimes it is best to customize your resume towards a particular job, and other times it isnt. How confident are you that your skills align with the job? Do you feel extremely qualified? Without ever speaking with the hiring manager, would they be able to look at your executive level resume and feel confident in your abilities? If the answer is yes, send the resume as is. If you feel like you have the skills for this position and you want the job, but your resume just doesnt quite show off the specific skills required, then customize it Its that simple. Executive level resume serviceBy implementing the tips above, you will begin to see dramatic increases in application to interview conversion.If you are like most senior level executives, writing a resu me is the last thing you have time to do, but you understand it is a necessity to find a new position.Lucky for you, Find My Profession employs a whole team of highly skilled and knowledgeable resume writers who would be happy to assist.

The best leaders know how to use their voice

The best leaders know how to use their voiceThe best leaders know how to use their voiceIts been said that an animals eyes have the power to speak a great language. While body language can certainly say a lot without speaking a word, luckily for humans, we also have a written and verbal language in which we communicate. The challenge when it comes to the workplace, however, is that using that voice in just the right way and at the right time isnt always so easy or obvious.Great leaders pay special attention to their voice. Theyve mastered this skill because they know the words they use can literally make or break their team, motivate and inspire someone or leave a subordinate feeling like a complete failure. Industry knowledge and the mastery of a skillset is certainly important to becoming a great leader, but until you truly understand the power of your voice and how to use it, youre not ready to run the show. Here are six ways the best leaders find their voice and use it to inspire greatness in others.They know when to be gentle and compassionateSometimes, all a person needs is for someone to show she cares. Maybe one of your top employees is struggling lately. Often times it has nothing to do with the job itself. Maybe its a health issue. Maybe her child is acting out at home. Maybe hes just going through a rough patch. Just being a human being and showing people that you care for their well-being is the best characteristic of a great leader. Sometimes saying nothing at all, but just being there for another person is the best thing you can do.They know when and how to push someoneGreat leaders know how to use their voice to push people to do bigger and better things. Maybe someone on your team has plateaued or is just simply stuck. Maybe your team is closing in on last years sales record and needs that little push to get over the hump. A great leader knows how to step in and inspire someone to get the job done. He knows the words to use, the tone and when to say it. Many times, its just hearing the right words that can turn things around altogether.They resolve conflict without getting in the middleGreat leaders must act as the middleman sometimes, making tough decisions or resolving team conflicts. The best leaders are able to look at the facts objectively, doing whats best for the team even if that means ignoring their personal feelings. When making their decision, these leaders are careful with the words they choose, stating the facts and listing the reasons why they chose what they did without showing prejudice to any one individual or group of people. They know they have to be very careful with the language they use to avoid it coming off as a personal attack but rather a work or company-based decision.They pad their wordsWord padding is all about being firm and getting the point across with the language you use, but at the same time not coming off as the company jerk that nobody wants to be around. Youve probably known a leader o r two who had the reputation of company bully maybe it was even you. Thats because thereis no word padding taking place. An example with no word padding Brian, Im really disappointed in you. It was a stupid decision and this is going to cost us a lot of money. I sure hope you werent thinking about that raise.An example with word padding Brain, that really wasnt the best decision you made back there. Next time if youre unsure, come talk to me and we can decide together. You have a lot of potential, and I think you can be even better if you just step back and think a little more instead of making rash decisions.They put the focus on youThe best leaders effectively use their language by including you in the conversation. They dont just walk by and say hello. They stop and say, Hello Meghan. They reference people by personenname as much as possible. They remember the details when they can. It makes you feel important when the owner of the company remembers that your mother was recently ill and asks how shes doing, or that your child just graduated college and mentions that when he sees you. Remembering someones name or one or two simple facts about them is something that will help you stand out as a leader.They are enthusiastic with their vocal tonesIf I say, How are you? in a very monotone voice or if I say it with some excitement behind it, theres a big difference. One way sends the message that Im just saying it to say it, and the other ways make it sound more genuine like I care. Its not always the words that matter, but how you use your words that makes all the difference. Not only is the person you are conversing with going to be more receptive when you ask the question with enthusiasm, its going to rub off on you as well.In fact, if youre feeling down or having a rough day, faking the enthusiasm is often what will turn things around for you. Your voice and your words have power. Being good at what you do is important for career advancement, but being a good communicator is just as important. Whether youre looking for a career advancement or have already climbed the ladder to the top, understanding the power you hold within can be the difference in everything. Before you go to say something next time, think twice about what youre about to say and how youre going to say it.Melinda Garvey is the founder of OnTheDot Woman, a movement dedicated to giving women aroundthe globe access to relatable role models with a daily 4-minute podcast.