Posts Tagged ‘Employment’

How Does 360 Degree Feedback Work? Can It Benefit Your Business?

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

We all enjoy getting positive or constructive feedback and when it is delivered in the right way it can really benefit both the individual and the business. Even so, with evidence to support this idea, it is the fact that people do not get feedback that is considered to be the major contributor to their decision to leave their job, so it really is important to provide feedback to your employees. It is a wise decision as it allows you to find out where employees may require support or skills development to help them to boost their performance levels.

So, why do we have 360 degree feedback? This idea has resulted from a need to increase both the frequency and quality of feedback to individual employees. It is more than the usual annual appraisal, where you visit the manager’s office to be told what you are doing well and how you can improve.

Throughout time it has been the role of the manager to provide this feedback and as a result of increasing workloads, the feedback has not always been comprehensive. 360 degree feedback increases the circle of feedback and includes not only the manager’s comments, but also peer evaluation, self evaluation and direct reports. What results at the conclusion of this process is a comprehensive report that provides the individual with a comparison between how they perceive their performance and the perception of their associates. This report will then allow them to make any necessary adjustments through a targeted improvement plan.

There are a number of positive aspects to 360 degree feedback: the insight that employees gain concerning their behavioural weaknesses gives them the ability to manage their careers effectively as they address interpersonal skills and leadership abilities and the business benefits from a productive workforce that has both an enhanced level of skill and great experience.

What elements make the 360 degree feedback process successful?

There are six components.

1. Senior management must have ownership of the process and be supportive of its implementation. Employees need to gain the skills necessary to provide constructive feedback. Most importantly, managers must be willing to use the skills that they have attained to offer any relevant ongoing coaching.

2. Each survey carried out should have a link with the ethos of the business and any revelant skills sought and considered necessary for the success of both the business and the individual.

3. Each member of the team is required to attend a 360 degree orientation. At these training sessions they will be instructed with regards to the fact that 360 must never be used in performance appraisal, but only as a developmental tool. The importance of confidentiality is emphasised to assure those who are being rated and those doing the rating.

4. A questionnaire or survey is completed. Most of these surveys are completed online with special encryption software that allows for secure data collection.

5. These surveys are organised into a report, including any comments made verbatim and given to the individual. The report should be in an easy to read format. Senior management is usually provided with a group summary report where numeric ratings are tallied to indicate strengths and weaknesses of the group. This information can then be used to make decisions regarding training initiatives that match the needs of the group.

6. Coaching that is thought to be necessary for improvements is then given to those requiring it. Impartiality is one of the best qualities of an effective coach as is their ability to focus on achievable, useful goal setting. It is also appropriate for managers to adopt the role of coach as it will help to cement any skills gained and guarantee accountability.

So, how can this assist your company? It all depends on how much you are willing to put into the procedure. The amount of change is directly related to the amount of feedback given and to the level of assistance that is provided. 360 degree feedback can be a very powerful tool to engender the feedback required to make those changes in your organisation.

A030709AJZ

Theo Benmanson has been developing personnel for that last 15 years. He has written many articles on the topic. Click the links for additional articles on 360 degree feedback. Or visit the website at www.engauge.co.uk.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Create Your Own Cover Letter Templates When Job Searching To Have On Hand

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

When searching for a new job, you need to treat the search like a full time job in order to really get anywhere. Maintaining your own cover letter templates will help you to inquire about jobs faster and with a higher level of professionalism than you would otherwise have. The upfront effort required to pull this off properly is considerable, but in the end it may shorten the overall length of your search.

You can start off by studying the samples of letters you find. The quickest way to access letters in an array of different formats is to look online. Many job search sites now offer tutorials on how to create resumes, cover letters, and also professional etiquette. You will be able to notice how the job you are inquiring about, or the company will change how you format the letter as a whole. You don’t want to send a casual letter to a company with a very formal atmosphere.

As you are studying the differences in formats of the samples that you have collected, be sure to also notice the similarities. You will notice some things that tie together all of them that make them good examples in the first place. Making this observation will give you a better idea of what to include among all of your letter templates.

You can practice writing the letters using a template already available in your work processing program. These pre-formatted templates are great for learning with, although not so wonderful for using for the ones that you send out. This rings especially true when you are sending these out over the internet because there is never any guarantee that the formatting will look the same on the other end.

You want to make sure that your letter stands out from others. While others are using the forms that their computers are providing them with, yours will actually have a far more polished look to it. That’s something that can only come from paying close personal attention to the details.

Once you have done your homework, you will want to get started on making your own and saving them in a designated file. In each one of these be sure to leave blank spaces for where you will want to insert a company name, or greeting to a specific person. By leaving these blank you will reduce your risk of sending out letters to the wrong places, or sending the right letter to the wrong place. Errors like that can not only make you feel embarrassed, but can also cost you the job.

This little cover letter is starting to seem like a lot of work. It should, when you stop and think about it, it is your first impression with this company, and that’s not something that you can do over later on. Be sure to be to-the-point in your letter, while at the same time conveying why you think they need you.

Having several cover letter templates saved will save a considerable amount of time when you are wanting to get it sent out quickly. Just pull up the appropriate one, add in the necessary information concerning the company and the job you are applying for, and then you’re done. You’ll have something quickly that doesn’t look as though the computer did it for you. It’s an efficient way to set yourself apart from the crowd.

You can find more cover letter templates on the Web through many other web pages. You will also come across resume cover letters samples that can help you decide the look you want for your resume.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Creating An Assortment Of Sample Cover Letters To Work From Is Valuable

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

It takes full time effort to find a new full time job. Being a job seeker is stressful, and the competition is steep. Anything you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd in a positive light is a welcomed addition to your job seeking toolbox. Sample cover letters can go a long way to making the best first impression possible. You will want to have a variety to work so you can effectively use a variety of formats.

Look over a variety of samples to start with. Then you want to use those to create your own personal stock of letters. By doing this you will be able to quickly select an appropriate format and modify it to your needs. You won’t be caught searching for the right words while others are sending in theirs for a good job opening.

Do your homework and research the company that you are applying to. Knowing what their corporate atmosphere is like can be crucial when deciding whether to send out a letter that is more formal versus one that is more casual. When you think about it, this is really your first impression, and you should use it make it clear that you understand their organization and that you would fit in well.

Show them that you have a sincere interest in more than just the job, but also in their organization as a whole. Do your homework and find out all you can about their background and what they do. Then use the letter to illustrate that not only do you know about them, but also how you will be able to help them and be a valuable member of their team. Let them know that they need a person like you.

You may be expanding your horizons in your search. In doing so you will want to create separate types of letters to highlight differing types of experience or education that you may have. By having them ready ahead of time you won’t be searching for the right words when you see an opening pop up.

By taking these tips you will be able to submit a cover letter that differentiates you from the stack of other applicants sitting on someone’s desk. You want it to get their attention in a good way. This won’t get you hired right away, but it can get you the interview you may not have gotten otherwise.

Despite what you may have been taught, the auto-formatting function in your work processor is not your friend. It might save you time up front, but it could do some damage later on down the road. When sending in resumes or applications online these letters could loose their formatting, and end up reading as a jumbled mess. Do yourself a favor and take the time to format it manually.

This probably looks like it will be a lot of work: it is. The marketplace today is very competitive, and it takes a lot to get ahead, and to get the job. Be prepared and give job searching your best effort and you won’t have to search as long as others.

Locate all kinds of resume cover letter choices online. A lot of these sample cover letters will even be offered at very good prices if not free. Head online and find out more now.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Job Hunting Tips

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Hunting for dream jobs can make you feel like a small fish in a big pool. People living in some regions may find more difficulties as caused by the unfavorable economy condition, high unemployment rate, or maybe lack of highly demanded skills. But we have to face this stage anyway. However, disregarding the condition of a country or region, some industries remain higher in demand when compared to the others. We can mention the jobs in the accountancy or professional services, banking and financial services, law sectors, public sectors, engineering and industrial sectors, transportation and logistics sectors, and business services. Nevertheless, economy is not such an inefficient system that does not allow every workforce to find the right jobs and earn money. No, you just need to get ready to face the competition, and later choices. Job hunting is somehow about luck, but you can make it happen better with the tips below.

1. Starting out job search. Thinking about jobs, you should know what kinds of position that sounds most appealing to you. Do you like to interact with people? Do you like to earn commission based income? Do you like to work in a competitive workplace? Or, do you like to work behind the desk, negotiating with people, traveling, or perhaps networking? When you know what you want, you can target the search better and spend time on the most prospectus positions. Searching for jobs does not even include the posted advertising only. When you have passion for a position, you have enough resources to initiate the job application process even when there is no published job vacancy. The chance will be much higher.

2. Going to career adviser. If you are a fresh graduate, there is usually career adviser service in the university. Go and have a talk. You may be asked to fill out a series of questions too to identify what you want and what you are best qualified for. The psychometric tests can be a great start for your job search. Not only the test reveals your ability, but it also tells about your personality and aptitude. At the end you will know where your preference goes for.

3. Knowing job description of different positions. Find information about the daily task of jobs that sound appealing. It is important to help you find the best job. For example, one might like to work in a medical industry but does not want to deal with patients and medications. Then this man can go for the medical coding job which, of course, needs intensive training in the field. Explore as many information as possible in the related industry.

4. Knowing how you can utilize your degree. However, keep in mind that degree is not a final opportunity. You do not have to work in the positions that are relevant to your degree to feel happy and be successful. In fact it is those who dare to explore the potencies that are most likely to gain success and enjoy the journey. Despite this, make sure you know the advantages you have from your degree background. A Business Studies graduate can work as business consultant, marketing manager, or many others. And certainly there is nothing wrong when you want to work in the technology sector.

Alex Wu operates a classified ads website that lets people advertise, build groups, and connect. He hopes to create an active environment for businesses to place their job listings.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

There Is More To Psychiatry Jobs Than Simply Scanning Want Ads For A Job

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Choosing to go into the field of mental health requires someone that is committed, dedicated and most of all has an open mind. When thinking of psychiatry jobs many confuse the field of psychology with a psychiatrist. Though both specialize in the human mind there are differences in the two fields.

They both treat mental health issues that range from substance abuse with mental health issues to forensic and mental health related fields. A psychologist earning a PhD or a PsyD D is also considered a doctor; however, a psychiatrist has a medical degree. A psychiatrist may lean more towards viewing the problem as a medical issue where a psychologist may view the problem as a social one. They both can have the same view on a situation; it all depends on the practitioner. Both have the option of specializing in one of many fields.

A child psychiatry specialization is when their clients are children. The families are often included in the treatment, rather it be as a result of a child being subjected to a traumatic occurrence or a mental health behavior problem. When the specialization is children it is important to realize that there will be unpleasant situations with family members, it is not always only the child who is being seen.

To have a specialization in sports psychology means the clients are somehow involved in sports, they could be players or coaches. Many of the clients seen in this field are seeking assistance with many different areas relating to their involvement with a sport. For example, it could a client that is having difficulties controlling a temper while playing or they could be having difficulties handling peer pressure. There are many different situations for the client to seek professional help.

The forensic field is not always silence of lambs type clients. It does normally involve working with someone in a criminal situation. The individual could be claiming an insanity plea and your job would be to determine if they were insane at the time of the crime or you could be called as a professional witness specializing in a particular field of crime. It will always be of a different nature. Criminal psychology is more often trying to determine the behavior aspect and reason for the criminal behavior.

To become psychiatrists there is a tremendous amount of ongoing education. After completing their bachelors degree in science and another four years of medical school, they must then complete an internship and a residency program. They must also take board examinations and pass to become licensed. Throughout their career they will take numerous required credit classes or renewal type course, they are required to have so many per year.

As medical doctors they do have the authority to prescribe medications. A doctor of psychology cannot prescribe medications. Many people think a psychiatrist simply writes a prescription without having concerns about treating the patient. This is far from the truth. They do prescribe medications; however, they are concerned with treatment. Not all patients have the same symptoms, if a patient is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, this does not mean their symptoms are exactly like another patients. A psychiatrist will differentiate the symptoms and treat each.

To get psychiatry jobs is not a simple process. It takes many years of dedication from these men and women. They have gone through medical school along side of a family physician; they simply chose to specialize in the minds, brains and mental health of their patients as opposed to specializing in bones, surgery or family practice.

Healthcare staffing center offering medical jobs across the country from hospitalist Jobs to rn jobs.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace